CIRCA 1974
Before it became one of the most recognizable works of pop art from the twentieth century, and then a mystery, I was there.
Just a few years short of becoming a teenager, the initial impression I had of being an eyewitness to history, was that history involved a naked woman. That’s the kind of history that would make any pre-teen boy sit up and take notice.
The photo was black-and-white, because dad used this type of film for artistic reasons when photographing models. He had explained to me many times why this approach worked better than the more readily available and popular color film, and I’m sure the explanation went right over my head. Neither then nor now have I ever had a deep passion or classic understanding of art. In this case, at least, the apple fell quite far from the tree.
On this particular day when I stepped into his studio, I likely saw her photo next to his canvas as he worked on the iconic Jaws painting, an image that in a short while would appear on book covers and movie posters and then become a worldwide sensation.
The model he used was a beauty for sure—a high-end New York model by the name of Allison Maher. Despite her naked splendor, there was little erotic about her, looking unnatural as she pantomimed the Australian crawl while lying awkwardly across a stool. But dad had what he wanted: an evocative image that he could use to portray a vulnerable young woman swimming tranquilly across the surface of the water who was oblivious of the giant shark about to devour her.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Illustration No. 70-Ausgabe von Illustration.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Illustration No. 70-Ausgabe von Illustration.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
THE ART OF PAUL BRANSOM
Paul Bransom (1885-1979) was widely known as the Dean of American Animal Artists. His work appeared on the covers of magazines like The Saturday Evening Post and served as illustrations of short stories in periodicals and in books. He provided the illustrations for some 45 books, most notably the 1912 edition of Jack London’s Call of the Wild and the 1913 edition of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows.
THE ART OF FRANK MCCARTHY
Witnessing a Wild West show as a young boy was a crucial early influence that led Frank McCarthy to become a distinguished painter of Western historical themes. The excitement and emotion he felt that day stayed with him, and can be seen in the vivid action, color, and splendor that emanate from his paintings.
THE ART OF WARD BRACKETT
Ward Brackett (April 2, 1914–December 14, 2006) was a gifted American illustrator, known for his work in paperback books and periodicals such as Reader’s Digest and Cosmopolitan.
THE ART OF N.C. WYETH
For over 25 years, N.C. Wyeth was regarded as the foremost illustrator of books and magazines in the United States. His artwork for iconic tales of romance and adventure has become synonymous with the stories themselves, familiar to multiple generations of readers. Some of the best-known characters in literature have become nearly indistinguishable from the images he produced.
THE ART OF CHARLES LASALLE
\"We have some artists in the family.\" I didn't know it at the time, but my future father-in-law Aiden E. LaSalle was a master of understatement.
THE ART OF PRUETT CARTER
Pruett Carter was once recognized as one of America's top illustrators, during a time when illustrations were viewed primarily as easel paintings
THE ART OF RAYMOND JOHNSON
Raymond Sven (Ray) Johnson was a commercial illustrator who created iconic paperback book covers spanning all genres of fiction for Avon, Popular Library, Monarch and other publishers from the late 1940s through the early 1960s.
"Blow some my way"
THE DELINEATION OF DESIRE IN 1920s COMMERCIAL ILLUSTRATION
THE ART OF FRITZ WILLIS
Fritz Willis was born in Oklahoma in 1907, and raised in Boston.
THE ART OF WILLIAM OBERHARDT
Illustrator William Oberhardt (1882-1958) was born in Guttenberg, New Jersey, 1882.
