by Eastman Johnson (July 29, 1824 – April 5, 1906). Eastman Johnson was one of the nation’s most-prominent 19th century portrait painters, who particularly portrayed literary artists. Eastman was a leader within 19th-century America’s arts community and was a co-founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Widely recognized for his portraits of such prominent Americans…
The Flagellation
by Giulio Cesare Procaccini (Italian, 1570-1625). Beginning his career as a sculptor in Milan, Procaccini’s paintings in the following decades subsequently portrayed his sculptural gifts. His style of tense draftsmanship and deep feeling anticipated the Baroque and brought the Procaccini Academy increasing renown as a source of inspired painting and sculpture, as well as a…
Boy and Principal
by Richard Sargent (American 1911-1978) In this evocative scene from a Saturday Evening Post cover (February 7, 1959), one can almost hear the young man saying, “Hi, sir! How are you, sir?” only to return a few minutes later with a book, Manners are fun, and with his face plainly expressing his true feelings toward…
Rose Medallion Tazza
The tazza was produced for a marriage. It supports the twin fish motif, of importance to Asians, yet the colors and other design elements are typical of items made for export to Western consumers. This combination of colors and motifs makes this specimen quite unusual, and potentially a special order for the marrying couple.
Mother and Child
by Ivan Ermakov (Russian, 1875-1942). Ermakov was trained in the academic traditions of pre-Revolutionary Russian and his work revealed the national tradition of old portraiture of the Russian Empire style, focusing on historic and nostalgic themes. His painting here, of the Madonna and Child, expresses a nostalgic look during the rapidly changing world of the…
Pilgrim Wedding
by Rico Tomaso (American, 1898-1985). Tomaso began his career as a musician and met drummer Dean Cornwell, later one of America’s most accomplished illustrators. Cornwell encouraged Tomaso to move from the piano to painting and he went on to produce cover and article artwork for The Ladies’ Home Journal and The Saturday Evening Post, among…
Two Cowboys
by Frank McCarthy (American, 1924-2002). McCarthy was a prolific artist who created illustrations for Colliers, Argosy, and True magazines as well as posters for such films as The Ten Commandments, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, among many others. McCarthy was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of…
Military Figures
Han dynasty items, dating ca. 206 BCE-220 CE. The military figures were placed in the tomb to protect the deceased. They are depicted in leather tunics and carrying weapons. Note the shape of the bronze arrowheads, as they are pyramid form rather than of a flattened triangular shape.
Shepherd to the Flock
by James Bama (American, 1926-). Illustration for a story in The Saturday Evening Post, February 5, 1962. Bama is an American artist known for his realistic paintings and etchings of Western subjects. His work is collected in The Western Art of James Bama (Bantam Books, 1975) and The Art of James Bama (1993). He was…
Gun Fire from atop the Coach
by George Rozen (American, 1895-1974). A prolific illustrator for pulp-fiction publications. This painting appeared on the cover of Ace-High Western Stories, March 1950.