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MORT KUNSTLER:THE ART OF ADVENTURE
Known for his meticulously researched paintings of the American Civil War and other significant historicalsubjects, Mort Künstler is also a prolific illustrator whose romance, adventure, and sporting illustrations haveengaged and entertained readers and admirers for six decades. Mort Künstler: The Art of Adventure featuresoriginal artworks and ephemera spanning the breadth of his prolific career, created for such popular twentiethcentury publications as True, Argosy, Men’s Story, Sports Afield, Outdoor Life, American Weekly, and TheSaturday Evening Post, as well as movie posters, book jackets, and advertisements reflecting American popularculture and the diverse artistic genres that comprise his exceptional creative journey.Norman Rockwell Museum is honored to present Mort Künstler: The Art of Adventure, a DistinguishedIllustrator Exhibition highlighting the artist’s unique contributions to the field of illustration. Presented by theRockwell Center for American Visual Studies, the nation’s first research institute devoted to the art of illustration,the Distinguished Illustrator series reflects the impact and evolution of published imagery and of NormanRockwell’s beloved profession, which remains vibrant and ever-changing.Stephanie Haboush PlunkettDeputy Director/Chief CuratorNorman Rockwell MuseumHarold Holzer is one of the nation’s leading authorities on Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of theCivil War era. A prolific writer and lecturer, and frequent television commentator, Holzer serves as chairmanof The Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation. In 2008, he was awarded the prestigious National Humanities Medalby President George W. Bush, and in 2013, he wrote an essay about Lincoln for the official program at theinauguration of President Barack Obama. The first Roger Hertog Fellow at The New-York Historical Society, hehas written forty-six books, including The Civil War in 50 Objects; 1863: Lincoln’s Pivotal Year; and Lincoln:How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America. He is also the Senior Vice President for Public Affairs at TheMetropolitan Museum of Art.Exhibition Curator: Martin Mahoney, Director of Collections and ExhibitionsGraphic Designer: Rita MarshallAll illustrations Mort Kunstler. All rights reserved.Front cover: [Woman in Attic] 1959, illustration for Male, March 1959Back cover: Trouble at the Printer, illustration for Stag, c. 1962Facing page: Buried Alive for Four Months, illustration for Stag, c. 19659 Glendale Road, Stockbridge, MA 01262, 413-298-4100nrm.org
MORT KUNSTLER:THE ART OF ADVENTURE .DI S T I NG UISHE D.ILLUSTRATOR.November 15, 2014 through arch 8, 2015S E R I E S.
Mort Kunstler: HISTORY MAKERHAROLD HOLZER“The war itself has not inspired many works” of art. Sowell into the 20th and 21st centuries, none of whom hasHarper’s Weekly reported disdainfully in the spring of 1862,responded with more infinite variety, widespread appeal,after the country had suffered through nearly twelve months ofand enduring importance than Mort Künstler.grueling—but in many ways, picturesque—military conflict.For decades, Künstler has been crafting both dramaticTwo years more of hard fighting on new terrain, on land andand contemplative scenes of the Civil War—and its greatestsea alike, did not alter the situation much. In 1864, anothermilitary and civilian heroes—in works boasting both sublimeinfluential periodical, The Round Table, complained: “Onetechnique and the deepest attention to detail. Künstler’sof the most remarkable circumstances connected with theferocious respect for historical accuracy has becomeexisting war is the very remote and trifling influence which itsomething of a legend in itself. With the perspicacity of aseems to have exerted upon American Art.”true scholar and the swashbuckling bravura of a devotedNeither of these observers could have known it at themilitary re-enactor, he has made it a point to get every gun,time, but the American Civil War would ultimately inspire anuniform, kepi, flag, and accoutrement exactly right, downabsolute avalanche of painters and paintings. For one thing,to the tiniest detail, without ever neglecting the aspirationwell before 1864, Harper’s itself, along with Frank Leslie’sto dazzle and inspire. The vast portfolio of his Civil WarIllustrated Newspaper and the London Illustrated News,works takes viewers into scenes of action, preparation, anddispatched artist-correspondents to the front to capture scenesafterthought; gallantry and foolhardiness; the smoke-filledof battle and campfire. Their work was presented to readershorror of battle action, and the peaceful routines of campon both sides of the Atlantic, a seemingly endless seriesand campfire. His work revivifies Civil War encounters fromof front-line woodcuts. In the bargain, these newspapernew angles and emphases, and re-examines Union andassignments provided an invaluable training ground forConfederate legends from the inside out.immortal artists of the near future like Winslow Homer andFor Civil War aficionados, whose knowledge of detail isThomas Nast. But Nast and Homer did not, for the mostno less staggering than the artist’s, Künstler’s works routinelypart, turn to serious painting of what they had observed intrigger the thrill of instant recognition: I know that face, suchwartime until the guns had been stilled. The same was truean educated viewer is likely to exclaim; I recognize thatof most other contemporaneous “Civil War” artists. Mostcharge, this retreat, that often-described but seldom depictedwaited until the return of peace before visiting the recent pastpuff of smoke from the left, that wild scramble of frightenedto make sense of the carnage, sacrifice, and society-alteringmen on the right. For those who simply love art for art’s sake,upheavals of the years 1861-1865.Mort Künstler’s Civil War works engage and challenge onOne can debate whether Nast and Homer ever claimeda different level. The reaction I’ve most often heard fromany contemporary competitors who equaled their acutesuch observers is: how on earth did he do that with paint?sensibilities and artistic skills. But one thing is certain: theFor historian and buffs alike, Künstler’s works revivify crucialCivil War continued to influence and inspire gifted artistschapters of our national existence, and often challenge us to4
re-think long-held assumptionsultimate tribute: inclusion inand myths. They bothone of his irresistible groupeducate and illuminate. In thescenes. Not long ago, Mortbest sense of the word, theydecided to paint an importantillustrate our history.but generally neglectedFor me, a longtimescene in American history:admirer, such has beenPresident Abraham Lincoln’smy principal response toarrival at the Gettysburg,Mort Künstler: his engagement with the Civil War. But inPennsylvania train station on November 18, 1863, justrecent years I have come to recognize and admire, too, hisa day before delivering the most famous speech in ourforays into other chapters of the American past. Not toohistory: the Gettysburg Address. Mort produced a spectaclelong ago, during the period when my professional home,capturing Lincoln’s uniquely loping dignity as he strides up theThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, was busy restoring andstreet, waving awkwardly but sincerely to his admirers, andre-framing our iconic Emanuel Leutze work, Washingtonconveying as well the press of excited spectators gathered toCrossing the Delaware, Mort received a commission towelcome their leader. If one looks really closely, those whointerpret that crucial event afresh. It is no easy task toknow me well can find a bearded fellow near the nose lightrevisit a painting that has adorned textbooks for decades,of the locomotive who bears an uncanny resemblance to thiseven though historians have long recognized the historicalgrateful writer. I’m in a Mort Künstler painting! Can thereand anatomical flaws in Leutze’s vision of the Father of Hisbe a bigger thrill or higher honor for a historian? Did heCountry standing in a long boat, peering amid ice floeshave to make me look so bald? Well, I can hardly expecttoward the well-lighted Pennsylvania shoreline. Undaunted,him to add a wavy mat of hair if he refused to show GeorgeMort visited the actual scene of the crossing and did aWashington braving the Delaware River in wintertimedeep dive into original accounts of the event. In the endwithout getting cold or wet. A scrupulous eye for truth and ahe produced a picture so radically different—as dark andcapacity to dazzle and delight: that is Künstler’s approach todangerous-looking as Leutze’s was sunlit and optimistic—thathistory.it generated a bevy of laudatory media coverage during itsWhat was said 150 years ago about one of the finestdebut showing at the New-York Historical Society.of the 19th century artists to focus on the Civil War—SanfordIt was one more demonstration of a singular artist’sGifford—might be said with entire confidence of Mortdevotion to accuracy as well as design. But full disclosure:Künstler: “His best pictures can be not only merely seenI speak with appreciation not only as an admirer longbut contemplated with entire satisfaction; they indicate aacquainted with Mort Künstler’s pictures, but, more recently,capacity based upon genuine principles.”as one of those luckiest of history guys who receive theMr. Lincoln Comes to Gettysburg, 20135
The Kansan , book cover illustration for The Kansan by Richard Brister, 19736
Mort Kunstler: The Art of AdventureMARTIN MAHONEYDirector of Collections and ExhibitionsNorman Rockwell MuseumAs a young boy I was very interested in history, and wasThe artist’s book spurred more reading and museum tripstaken with the historical period surrounding the events of theto see the portrayals of American history found in the worksAmerican Civil War. I was fascinated by the personalities,of Fredrick Remington, Winslow Homer, Norman Rockwell,campaigns, and high stakes of the period. Books and trips toThomas Cole, and countless others. My introduction tomuseums and historic sites fueled my imagination, inspiringthe art of Mort Künstler was one of the touchstones of mygreater interest in the events of the war. A tipping point cameunderstanding of the power of published images to inspire,when my parents presented me with a book, Images of theand to establish cultural memory. I would like to believeCivil War, superbly illustrated by the artist Mort Künstler.that my experience is a singular one, but in working onSuddenly, the events of the era crystalized, and historicalthis exhibition tracing the career of one of America’s mostfigures that lived, breathed and died during this traumaticsuccessful illustrators, it became clear that I could not holdperiod of our country’s history became real.that distinction. Künstler’s widely published imagery hasWild Horse Mesa, book cover illustration for Wild Horse Mesa by Zane Grey, 19837
reached an audience of millions.limited, he provided his son withFrom his early illustrations in Men’sbasketballs, bats and baseballs toAdventure, True, Sports Afield,increase his physical stamina, whileand Outdoor Life, to his corporatesimultaneously, Künstler continuedadvertising art, posters for major filmto develop his keen sense ofstudios, and carefully researchedcomposition.historical paintings and prints, his artTom Künstler, an Amoco salesman,is ever-present in the field of illustrationalso brought Mort on visits withand in American visual culture.his friend Dave Gross, an artist who worked with hisThis retrospective exhibition traces the origins of Mortsons George and Arthur Gross in the field of commercialKünstler’s career, tracing the artist’s creative trajectory and theillustration. “By watching these men as artists, I developedbreadth of his artistic catalog throughout the years.an appreciation for how they worked, what art was like asa business.” Künstler acknowledges how much this exposureBecoming an Artistand experience shaped him as an artist. The Gross familyBorn in Brooklyn, New York in 1927, Mort Künstler showedencouraged and critiqued his early work, and he took theiran innate talent for art as a child, and was encouragedadvice to heart, more determined than ever to move forwardby his father, Tom Künstler, to explore and pursue loveas an artist.of drawing. He purchased art supplies for his son longAt Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, Künstlerbefore he began his formal education, setting up still lifewas no longer the sickly boy of his youth, as he excelled asarrangements and instructing him to “paint what you see.”an athlete, particularly in diving and basketball. His highElementary school teachers at Brooklyn’s Public School 215school art teacher, Leon Friend, author of the book Graphictook note of Künstler’s burgeoning skill, and with the supportDesign, offered much inspiration, encouraging him to thinkof his mother Rebecca, he enrolled in art classes at theabstractly when painting and to consider attending art schoolBrooklyn Museum. This youthful art school experience, whichto extend his studies. In 1943, at just fifteen years of age,provided access to the collections of a world-class museum,Künstler graduated from high school and enrolled at Brooklynexposed him to a wide variety of artists and established aCollege, where he excelled in athletics, becoming a fourlove and appreciation of art.sport letterman. His focus on sports left little time for his artAt this time, Künstler suffered a series of childhoodat that time, and he attended University of California in Losillnesses, and though frustrating, his time in bed affordedAngeles (UCLA) on a basketball scholarship, until the suddenhim ample opportunity to develop his drawing skills. Todecline of his father’s health prompted his return home. Afterhelp him regain his strength, his father proscribed a coursespending time assisting his father, Künstler enrolled in artof athletics to follow. Though the family’s resources wereschool at Pratt Institute, an opportunity made possible byHouse and Corner Store, 1940Linoleum print created at thirteen years of age8
former Brooklyn College coachfinished assignments, he alsoArtie Musicant, who secured abegan creating his own imagerybasketball scholarship for himto build experience. Künstlerthere.recalled a bit of advice thatIn 1949, Künstler and apopular illustrator Mac Connerfellow Pratt student set out on agave him at the time. “Figure it outsummer excursion to Mexico,for yourself,” Conner said, ”Weoutfitting a pair of bicycles withall use the same models, we allpersonal effects and art supplieshave projectors, we all have theto paint and draw the Mexicansame brushes, the same paints.countryside. Splitting up after aWhat is the difference betweenmonth together, Künstler spent theone illustrator and another?rest of the trip biking and paintingWhy does one get the work andwith the goal of producing awhy doesn’t another? The bigpicture each day. He looks backdifference is up here,” Conneron this period of his life withemphasized, pointing to his head,fondness, for being alone required him to be self-reliant,“as well as here,” holding out his hand. “And that was alearn the Spanish language, and become adept as agreat lesson,” Künstler said. “I learned a lot from that, andwatercolorist, all while working in an unfamiliar environment.would only add that one must also listen to their heart.”After three months at Neeley Associates, Künstler left theEarly Careerstudio to pursue freelance illustration, bringing his portfolioAfter graduating from Pratt Institute, Künstler was hired byaround to potential clients to secure work for himself.Bill Neeley, owner of Neeley Associates, a fast-paced NewRapidly gaining assignments, he produced book jacketsYork illustration studio. Hired to clean the studio and do prepfor paperbacks and illustrated stories for popular men’swork for the other artists, Künstler used this time to pepperadventure magazines. During this time, he worked with andthe studio’s artists with questions about their assignments,shared studio space with his childhood idol, George Gross,absorbing as much as he could by watching the illustratorswhose art was in demand by publishers of pulp magazineswork. “In those days,” he recalled, “there were illustrationand paperback books. Gross took time to discuss the art ofstudios that would provide space and materials, and salesGolden Age illustrators J.C. Leyendecker, N.C Wyeth, andpeople who would sell the work on a commission basis. TheNorman Rockwell with Künstler, holding them up as examplesfees were split fifty-fifty between the artist and the company.”of how to compose particular subjects and use light andEventually responsible for making necessary changes toshadow effectively in an artwork—commentary that would1942 Brooklyn Dodgers, 1942Painting created at fifteen years of age9
Top: The Shy Killer, illustration for Outdoor Life, c. 1955Bottom: The Bear That Killed Ken Scott, illustration for Sports Afield, 195810
be taken to heart and reflected increate illustrations in a visuallyKünstler’s own compositions.exciting and richly detailed way.Working constantly, as much asPracticed Professionalfifteen to sixteen hours a day,By the mid-1950s, KünstlerKünstler honed his vision and hishad become a skilled andskills, and cites long hours of workexperienced artist who wasas instrumental in developing hisreceiving commissions from manytechnique and style.of the most prominent publicationsIn 1961, Künstlerof the day. Sports Afield, Boys’moved to Mexico in the hopeLife, The Saturday Evening Post,of providing his wife DeborahOutdoor Life, and True MagazineKünstler, who modeled forpublished his work regularly, andmany of his paintings, and theirMen’s Adventure, a frequent client,children David, Amy, and Janeoffered both artistic challenge and financial rewards. Hiswith a unique cultural and educational experience. Whiledynamic illustrations, focusing on themes of man’s encountersin Mexico, Künstler continued producing art for Magazinewith nature, criminals and mobsters, damsels in distress,Management, a company that published and circulatedespionage, and military conflicts were gripping, rich inmen’s adventure, humor, and lifestyle magazines of the day.detail, and immensely popular.Magazine Management was also the parent company ofAs the 1950s progressed, Künstler realized thatMarvel Comics, which famously hired writer Stan Lee to runphotography and television were starting to change theits comics division, and eventually became known as Marvellandscape of the illustration business. A relatively newEntertainment. Künstler continued to “paint what was inmedium at the time, television began replacing publicationsfront of him” as his father had advised, but he also createdas the primary focus of advertising dollars, and photography,imaginative visual fantasies that engaged his many readerswhich conveyed a greater sense of immediacy in a rapidlyand fans. “I liked making pictures for stories that werechanging world, stood in more frequently for illustration. Thebelievable, and I did paint pictures for a lot of stories thatloss of revenue and audience prompted many magazineswere unbelievable. I think those were the most difficult, but Ito change direction or fold entirely, and Künstler realizedtried to make those pictures look real, too,” he said.that his illustrations had to provide something that theReturning to the United States in 1963, Künstler settledcamera could not. His dramatic compositions and theatricalhis family in Oyster Bay, New York, a scenic town on thescenarios portrayed stories in a way that could not haveLong Island Sound, and continued to work with Magazinebeen captured by photography, and he was determined toManagement. The company’s talented stable of writersSiberian Stalker, cover illustration for Male, February 195711
included Mario Puzo, and Künstler would later illustrate theKünstler embraced this method of working, and wouldfirst depictions of the Corleone family in The Godfather.continue to use historical research, often combined with siteAlways seeking new outlets for his art, he discovered avisits, to produce his imagery.another arena for his work, the model kit market. His interestWith the demise of many men’s adventure magazinesin historical accuracy dovetailed nicely with the needs ofin the 1970’s, Künstler began to take on new assignmentsmodel manufactures that required striking, detailed imagesfor Newsweek and Good Housekeeping, and createdillustrating the contents of their kits featuring classic aircraft,advertising art for national brands like Solarcaine, Old Crowautomobiles, and World War II themed subjects.Whiskey, and NYNEX. His eye-catching advertisements ledto projects for major film studios, and he painted theatricalArtist and Historianmovie poster illustrations for such classic disaster films as TheA 1966 assignment for National Geographic depicting thePoseidon Adventure (1972) and The Hindenburg (1975),early history of St. Augustine, Florida introduced Künstler toand action movies like Go Tell the Spartans (1978), Thethe deep and comprehensive research needed to renderTaking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), and the culta historically accurate scene. A later assignment aboutfavorite, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974).the Discovery of San Francisco Bay fully exposed him toCommissions from Blair Galleries in Santa Fe, NewNational Geographic’s scientific and historical subjects andMexico were among the first that Künstler accepted fortheir methodology for producing articles about non-fictionartworks not intended for publication, shifting his focus fromsubjects. Consulting with historians and experts in the field,published illustration to gallery painting. Künstler created hisWarms Icy Man Chill, advertisement for Maximus Vodka, 201212
first painting to be produced as acommission as an illustrator in orderlimited edition print in 1976, usingto turn his full attention to his work asthe research skills that he acquireda painter of historical subjects. Theas an illustrator in Stroud Farm, afollowing year, Künstler completedlyrical work that drew inspirationthe painting that would become thefrom site visits to the wheat fieldsofficial logo for the CBS mini-series,of Kansas and Nebraska. ThatThe Blue and the Gray. His personalyear, he also produced a satiricalinterest in the American Civil Warcover for the iconic and irreverentand the positive reaction that hishumor magazine, MAD, adding hisartwork garnered inspired Künstlerdistinctive spin to the popular posterto continue his focus on the period.for Jaws under the alias “Mutz.”His meticulous, expressive paintingsOn the advice of long-timehighlight chaos, battle, and poignantfriend, James Bama, a successfulmoments of intimacy against theillustrator who turned to paintingbackdrop of the most traumatic andwestern themes, Künstler too beganbloody conflict the nation had everselling his western subjects inendured.galleries. Brisk sales of art inspired by the American WestAbsolution Before Victory: The Irish Brigade atand Native Americans of the Northwest Coast attested toAntietam, September 17, 1862 portrays a moment that istheir appeal, inspiring him to continue down this path, andboth fleeting and moving. In the image, the Irish Brigadelong-standing relationships with the Kennedy and Hammeris about to engage the enemy at the Battle of Antietam.Galleries in New York have been testaments to his success.As they go forward, a priest turns to his horse to bless hisAlways seeking new challenges, Künstler was commissionedcharges, a moving image that highlights the faith, courage,by the Rockwell International Corporation to capture theand devotion that these soldiers displayed. Success as a1981 launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia, providingCivil War painter has established Künstler as one of theunexpected viewpoints that would have been difficult topreeminent historical artists in the world. Sought after byaccess without the vision of a skilled and creative artist.collectors and publishers, he has exhibited his art in museumsand at historical sites throughout the United States, and hasReimagining the American Civil Warearned recognition from prominent scholars in the field.Künstler’s depictions of the American Civil War haveContinuing his work with great dedication, anddecidedly established his legacy as an outstanding visualmaintaining an intensive schedule by any standard, Künstlerhistorian. In 1981, he accepted his last advertisingcontinues to create popular illustrative artwork that bringsLaunch of the Space Shuttle Columbia, April 12 1981, 7:00:10 EST, illustration for Rockwell International, 198113
together his passion for historical research and vast artisticSelected Bibliographyabilities to current subjects and projects. Recent depictions ofKilagannon, Corey. City Room Blogs, The New York Times,the American Revolution offer the opportunity for immersionDecember 23, 2011. Newspaper.in another time period, and a new series of works forDeis, Robert. An Interview with Mort Künstler,Maximus Vodka bring him back to his roots as an -mort-künstler-of adventure stories. “I think I’ve got the best job in the world,part-1.html. Website.because if I were retired, I would still want to paint pictures,”Doherty, Stephen. “Mort Künstler,” Illustration, Fall 2008:Künstler said, reflecting upon his prolific six-decade career.11. Magazine.“What more could you want than to have people look atParfey, Adam. It’s A Man’s World: Men’s Adventureyour work and enjoy it?” he said, with no interest in slowingMagazines, The Postwar Pulps. Ferel House, Lost Angeles,down any time soon.2003. BookRobertson, James. For Us the Living: The Civil War in Paintings and Eye Witness Accounts. Sterling Publishing, NewYork, 2010. Book.Above: Absolution Before Victory, 201214
Left column, top to bottom: Angel of the Battlefield, 2010; Rendezvous With Destiny, 2007; Portolá Discovers San Francisco Bay, 1987Right column, top to bottom: Washington’s Homecoming, 2012; Jackson’s Foot Cavalry, 2009; Washington’s Crossing, 201115
Exhibition ChecklistAll works in the exhibtion are byMort Künstler unless otherwise noted.[Childhood Bedroom] c. 1936Pencil on paperCollection of the artist[Combat] c. 1936Pencil on paperCollection of the artistHouse and Corner Store 1940Linoleum block printCollection of the artist1942 Brooklyn Dodgers 1942Watercolor on paperCollection of the artist[Knight on Horse] 1949Watercolor on paperCollection of the artistIglesia de San Jose con Cerro deBarrego 1949Watercolor on paperCollection of the artistCampesino de Rio Frio c. 1949Pastel on paperCollection of the artistConey Island 1953Story illustration for Magazine Management1953Gouache on boardCollection of the artistWith the Help of Dynamite c. 1955Story illustration for “With the Help ofDynamite” by Herbert Farres, Boys’ LifeMagazineGouache on boardCollection of the artist[Whale Tale and Harpooners] 1955Cover illustration for For Men Only, July 1955Gouache on boardCourtesy of the Nemser Collection[Woman in Attic] 1959Story illustration for Male, March 1959Gouache on boardCollection of the artistThe Shy Killer c. 1955Story llustration for Outdoor LifeGouache on boardCollection of the artistBritish Girl 1959Story illustration for MaleGouache on boardCollection of the artistFraulien! 1956Story illustration for “Fraulien! by Otto Lange,Male MagazineMixed mediaCollection of the artistScuba Fishing in the Florida KeysStory Illustration for Sports AfieldGouache on boardCollection of the artistThe Week Chicago Outlawed Sex 1957Story illustration for Magazine ManagementGouache on boardCourtesy of the Nemser CollectionSiberian Stalker 1956Cover illustration for Male, February 1957Gouache on boardCollection of the artistRescue at Pantagian Prison 1958Story illustration for “The Great Ranger Raidon Pantagian Prison” by Mark Sufrin, Men,February 1959Gouache on boardCollection of the artistThe Bear That Killed Ken Scott 1958Illustration for “The Bear That Killed Ken Scott”by Gene Caesar, Sports Afield, January 1958,pages 20-21Gouache on boardCollection of the artistScuba Fishing in the Florida KeysStory illustration for Sports AfieldGouache on boardCollection of the artist1959Scuba Fishing in the Florida Keys 1959Story illustration for Sports AfieldGouache on boardCollection of the artist161959How the FBI Cracked the Last Great BankRobbing Gang 1961Cover illustration for StagGouache on boardCollection of the artist[Scuttling the French Fleet in Marseilles]1961Cover illustration for StagGouache on boardCollection of the artistBreakout or Die 1962Story illustration for Stag, October 1962Gouache on boardCollection of the artistTrouble at the Printer c. 1962Story illustration for StagGouache on boardCollection of the artistTank Commander, Battle of the Bulge 1963Cover illustration for StagGouache on boardCollection of Mrs. John P. ClearyRamage’s Remarkable Rampage 1963Story illustration for “Ramage’s RemarkableRampage” by Farrell and Wilbur Cross, TrueGouache on boardCollection of the artist
Godfather Montage 1969Cover illustration for Male, featuring abook bonus for The Godfather by MarioPuzo, August 1969Pencil and gouacheCollection of the artistPortrait of Deborah Künstler 1962Oil on canvasCollection of Deborah KünstlerMost Spectacular Air Force Victory ofWWII 1964Cover illustration for StagGouache on boardCollection of the artistThe Poseidon Adventure 1972Movie PosterTwentieth Century Fox Film CorporationCollection of the artistBomb Run of Red Square 1964Cover illustration for For Men OnlyGouache on boardCollection of the artistThe Poseidon Adventure 1972StudyPhotostatCollection of Künstler Inc.“Mr. President, Red China Has Orbited aCobalt Bomb” 1964Story illustration “Mr. President, Red ChinaHas Orbited a Cobal
Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, the nation’s first research institute devoted to the art of illustration, the Distinguished Illustrator series reflects the impact and evolution of published imagery and of Norman Rockwell’s beloved profession, which rema
