Going Down - Falling Panties by Art Frahm (1955)

This classic mid-century pin-up illustration is titled “Going Down” (also widely commercialized simply as “Elevator” or “Going Up”), painted in the early 1950s by the famous American commercial and glamour illustrator Art Frahm. Created using a traditional oil on canvas technique, the composition utilizes a humorous, slapstick-infused "lady in distress" motif: a startled blonde woman steping out of an elevator has her pink lace-trimmed undergarments completely collapse to her ankles while a gust of wind catches her purple skirt. The origin of the piece stems from the post-war commercial calendar market, where it was commissioned by printing houses like Louis F. Dow for distribution as a mass-market novelty calendar illustration and retail art lithograph. The backstory behind the painting places it as one of the most widely recognized entries in Frahm’s eccentric "falling panties" series. To build the situational comedy, Frahm uses his signature visual formula: the woman's arms are fully compromised as she holds an overflowing grocery bag featuring a prominent, mandatory stalk of celery, ensuring she cannot pull up her clothes while she drops a striped hatbox and a wrapped package. Meanwhile, an amused, wide-eyed elevator operator in a uniform leers from behind the sliding door, cementing this exact image as a legendary and highly collected icon of 1950s Americana kitsch.

Professionally restored and reproduced from the original artwork, this print preserves the powerful visual impact of Art Frahm's painting while offering exceptional detail and color fidelity for modern display. • Premium 200 g/m² matte paper • Exceptional detail and color reproduction • Professionally enhanced and restored image quality • Available in 12x18", 16x24", and 24x36" sizes • Unframed for custom display options • Printed in the USA