Canadian Mountie

Dean Cornwell prints show the work of one of the giants of the golden age of American illustration. Nicknamed the "Dean of Illustrators", Cornwell painted for Cosmopolitan, Redbook and Good Housekeeping, illustrated Hemingway and Somerset Maugham, and covered public buildings with vast murals. Our collection of fine art prints includes his story illustrations, romantic scenes, travel pictures and wartime posters.

About Dean Cornwell

Dean Cornwell was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on 5 March 1892. His father, a civil engineer, fascinated him with drawings of industrial subjects. He began as a cartoonist for the Louisville Herald, then moved to Chicago, where he studied at the Art Institute and worked for the Chicago Tribune.

In 1915 he moved to the artists' colony of New Rochelle, New York, and studied with Harvey Dunn at the Art Students League. Later he went to London to learn mural painting as an apprentice to Frank Brangwyn, whose bold outlines and flattened, graphic compositions shaped his style. He was president of the Society of Illustrators from 1922 to 1926.

In 1927 he won the competition to paint the rotunda of the Los Angeles Public Library, entering three designs and taking first, second and third place. The murals, finished in 1933, contain more than 300 figures. Many more mural commissions followed, from Rockefeller Plaza to the Centre William Rappard in Geneva. In the Second World War he painted for the War and Navy departments and for corporations. He died in New York on 4 December 1960.

Style and Subjects

Cornwell's illustrations are dramatic and full of movement. Figures are drawn with strong anatomy and bold outlines, lit by warm, theatrical light, and caught at the peak of the story: a stick-up, a chase, a romantic meeting by moonlight.

His colours are rich and glowing, often with deep reds and golds against shadowy backgrounds, and his compositions are clear enough to read at a glance on a magazine page. His travel and mission paintings carry the same energy into landscape and architecture.

Famous Works

• From the girl's revolver leaped forth a sudden spurt of smoke and flame (1919), Brandywine Museum of Art. A tense moment from a magazine story.
• The Desert Healer (1922). An illustration for a romantic desert story.
• Tragedy (1925), Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Saint Louis. A dramatic figure painting from his years as a leading illustrator.
• History of California murals (1927–1933), Los Angeles Public Library. Four large and eight smaller murals in the library's central rotunda.
• Admiral Chester Nimitz (1944), National Portrait Gallery, Washington. A wartime portrait of the Pacific Fleet commander.
• Victory Loan poster (1945). A wartime poster urging Americans to invest in victory.
• Never the Twain Shall Meet. A story illustration with his typical drama and colour.

Decorating with Cornwell Prints

Cornwell's illustrations have the energy of a film poster, and they suit dens, games rooms, home bars and offices. Romantic scenes such as Moonlit Couple fit a bedroom or living room with a vintage or Art Deco feel.

The wartime posters and adventure scenes make a strong set for a hallway or study, especially in black or dark wood frames. The travel and city pictures, such as Nashville, work well in a home office or guest room.

FAQ

Why was Dean Cornwell called the "Dean of Illustrators"?

At the peak of his popularity he was the dominant figure in American illustration, and the nickname played on his first name. He also led the Society of Illustrators from 1922 to 1926.

What is Dean Cornwell's most famous work?

His murals of the history of California in the rotunda of the Los Angeles Public Library, completed in 1933, are his best-known work.

Who taught Dean Cornwell?

He studied with Harvey Dunn at the Art Students League in New York and later apprenticed to the British muralist Frank Brangwyn in London.

Which authors did Dean Cornwell illustrate?

He illustrated stories by Pearl S. Buck, Lloyd Douglas, Edna Ferber, Ernest Hemingway, W. Somerset Maugham and Owen Wister.

Is Dean Cornwell's work on a stamp?

Yes. His February 1953 riverboat cover for True magazine was used on a US postage stamp in the 2001 American Illustrators series.

Related Artists

• Howard Pyle: founder of the teaching tradition carried on by Cornwell's teacher Harvey Dunn
• N. C. Wyeth: fellow star of the golden age of American illustration
• Joseph Christian Leyendecker: leading magazine illustrator of the same era
• Norman Rockwell: fellow American illustrator of the same era