Dean Cornwell | |
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| Born | (1892-03-05)March 5, 1892 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | December 4, 1960(1960-12-04) (aged 68) New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Art Institute of Chicago |
| Known for | Illustration, painting |
| Movement | Realism |
| Spouse | Mildred Montrose Kirkham Cornwell (1893 - 1974) |
| Children | Kirkham Randolph Cornwell (1920 - 1984), Patricia Cornwell (1923 - ) |
Dean Cornwell (March 5, 1892 – December 4, 1960) was an Americanillustrator andmuralist. Hisoil paintings were frequently featured in popular magazines and books as literary illustrations, advertisements, and posters promoting thewar effort. Throughout the first half of the 20th century he was a dominant presence in American illustration.[1] At the peak of his popularity he was nicknamed the "Dean of Illustrators".
Cornwell was born inLouisville, Kentucky. His father, Charles L. Cornwell, was a civil engineer whosedrawings of industrial subjects fascinated Cornwell as a child. He began his professional career as acartoonist for theLouisville Herald. Soon thereafter he moved toChicago, where he studied at theArt Institute and worked for theChicago Tribune. In 1915 he moved toNew Rochelle, New York, a well knownartist colony,[2] and studied inNew York City underHarvey Dunn at theArt Students League of New York. Eventually he traveled toLondon to study mural painting as an apprentice toFrank Brangwyn. Brangwyn's style influenced Cornwell's artistic development in "rendering the human figure, bold outlines, flattened picture plane, and graphic approach to composition."[3]
Cornwell married Mildred Kirkham in 1918 but married life was difficult. From 1935 until his death, Dean and Mildred lived separately but never divorced.[4] Cornwell taught and lectured at the Art Students League in New York. He served as president of theSociety of Illustrators from 1922 to 1926, and was elected to its Hall of Fame in 1959.[5] In 1934, he was elected into theNational Academy of Design as an Associate Academician, and became a full Academician in 1940. He served as president of theNational Society of Mural Painters from 1953 to 1957.[6]
Cornwell's paintings were inCosmopolitan,Harper's Bazaar,Redbook, andGood Housekeeping magazines, illustrating the work of authors includingPearl S. Buck,Lloyd Douglas,Edna Ferber,Ernest Hemingway,W. Somerset Maugham, andOwen Wister. Cornwell's February 1953 cover of a riverboat forTrue was later made into a U.S. Postage stamp as part of theUSPS's 2001 American Illustrators series.
Although a prolific and successful magazine illustrator, Cornwell felt that such advertising was too ephemeral, and that magazine illustration was not enough to "guarantee his artistic immortality"[3] and sought means to permanently showcase his talent through mural painting where his work could be readily viewed by the public. In 1927, theLos Angeles Public Library held a competition to paint the central rotunda of the building with murals depicting the history of California.[7] Cornwell submitted three entries, two under pseudonyms and one under his real name, competing with 25 other muralists. Cornwell won the competition under his own name, and won 2nd and 3rd with his two other entries.[3] He completed the murals in 1933, composed of four large oil paintings, 40 feet wide, and eight 20-foot murals containing over 300 figures for the commission price of $50,000.[3]
The successful completion of the Los Angeles Public Library murals led to more commissions at other public buildings, such as theLincoln Memorial Shrine inRedlands, California, "The History of Transportation" in theEastern Airlines Building (now 10Rockefeller Plaza), executedFederal Art Project murals in two post offices,Chapel Hill, North Carolina andMorganton, North Carolina, with other murals in theWarwick New York Hotel in New York City, theNew England Telephone headquarters building in Boston, theDavidson County Courthouse and Sevier State Office Building inTennessee, and theCentre William Rappard inGeneva,Switzerland. His murals were seen by millions of visitors, and millions more were reached through his published reproductions of murals. Cornwell served as president of theNational Society of Mural Painters from 1953 to 1957.[3]
By the time the U.S. enteredWWII Cornwell was commissioned to create paintings of men in combat by the War and Navy departments, and by corporations like theFisher Body company. Cornwell also painted patriotic imagery for theCoca-Cola Company, thePennsylvania Railroad, and did portraiture of wounded GIs as part of theU.S.O. entertainment program organized by the Society of Illustrators. It was during WWII that Cornwell was commissioned to illustrate two of his most successful works forThe American Weekly for "Dean Cornwell Paints the Holyland" and "Dean Cornwell Paints the Missions."[3] After World War II television became the more popular medium and people were less inclined to read short fiction from magazines, and heralded the end of the "celebrity illustrator."[3] Throughout the 1930s and 1940s Cornwell remained a popular illustrator but he considered mural painting his "true vocation."[3]
Shortly before his death, Cornwell accepted a commission to finish painting a mural for theBerkshire Life Insurance Company after the original commissioned artist, fellow illustratorNorman Rockwell had trouble with the "complexity of the medium". It was also Rockwell's first attempt at mural painting and he abandoned the project. Cornwell died before completing the mural and his assistant Cliff Young finished the project.[3][8]
Artist and illustratorJames Montgomery Flagg wrote, "Cornwell is the illustrator par excellence-his work is approached by few and overtopped by none...he is the most sought-after illustrator of the day. His secret is this. He is a born artist."[9]
Cornwell continued to work until his failing health. On December 3, 1960, Cornwell experienced severe abdominal pains and was admitted to theRoosevelt Hospital in New York City for surgery but died due to a "heart ailment" on December 4, 1960. He was 68 years old.[10]
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