Customer Reviews

Dean Cornwell: Dean of Illustrators

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
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Dean Cornwell was, indeed, a master of American illustration and anyone who shuddered at the $800 pricetag the first edition has been sporting over the years will find the new edition of this long-out-of-print classic welcome. Cornwell was a gifted painter and knew how to tell a story with a single canvas: his art is as engaging today as it was in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. But the downside to this new edition is that it *is* an exact reprint of the first: that means 3/4 of the book's color paintings are printed in black and white. Cornwell was such a master of color that it seems a crime that the publisher didn't take the time to go back and replace at least some of the readily available works and present them as the artist painted them, especially at a hefty $75 cover price. This is the only Cornwell book available and as such is an important part of any art library: however, it is *not* what a $75 Dean Cornwell book *should* be and buyers should be aware that the majority of "Dean Cornwell: Dean of Illustrators" is printed in black and white.

Cornwell was one of the 20th Century's masters of illustration and the new edition of this legendary book attests to that fact. A master of color, composition, and anatomy he was a narrative artist in the best sense. "Dean of Illustrators" is full of wonderful paintings covering a broad range of themes. The problem is that this *is* an exact reprint of the first edition and nearly 3/4 of Cornwell's paintings in this book are printed in black and white. It would have been a service to the readers if the publisher had spent a little time replacing b&w images with those readily available in color....

I have seen this book only a few times in college. It is truly an inspiring book for the artist. You truly learn about color, design and painting technique. If one ever sees a copy I suggest examining it for a few days straight.

Dean Cornwell's legendary stature among American illustrators is rightfully restored by the reissue of this excellent 1978 retrospective. Cornwell, revered by his peers and his generation, had fallen into an entirely undeserved obscurity in recent years, but the work here emphatically places him in the front ranks of his profession. Looking through these pages, it's hard not to feel that the commercial artists of Cornwell's time easily surpassed the fine artists. Certainly, it's hard to imagine how someone who could draw and paint this way would be received today.

This attractive book is a thorough and comprehensive collection of color work, studies, and sketches, all with commentary and excellent reproduction.

This book lays heavy as most coffee table books do. But it does not weigh heavy with mass, but with the knowledge and mastery of an American artist who set the standard for those who strived for excellence. With an introduction written by Norman Rockwell, an account of his life and his works are the focus of this book. The splendid imagery and skillfull and constructive drawings of the human figure are a favorite to teachers and students alike. For the non artist, it is a book filled with wonderful illustrations that captivate the eye. A must buy, for any collector or artist.

This book is very rare and will cost you an arm and a leg to acquire. Rumor has it the publisher recalled the book and destroyed the majority of them due to an uninterested market. There should be more books like this with more color reproductions. The reproductions are beautiful but my only complaint is most are halftone gray. A bit of a letdown for someone who was a true master of color.

I cannot recommended this book highly enough.

I have this book and I believe that any serious artist / illustrator / collector should own a copy. I was fortunate enough to purchase a copy of the original book for under $300 dollars, but just barely. It along with my collection of Andrew Loomis books is one of my most prized possessions.

The information made available in this book on the life and work of one of the finest illustrators ever to pick up a brush is irreplacable.

This book shows his drawing and painting skill in detail manner. You'll see many examples of his drawings, experimenting with different compositions, color sketches final illustration. Excellent book for illustration students, artists or painters.

Dean Cornwell was the instructor and an icon for a generation of American illustrators and muralists. Capturing and expresses the evolving aesthetic and social values of American culture from 1914 until his death in 1960, his work was exceptionally popular with both the general public and the art critics of his time. With both black-and-white as well as color examples of his work, Dean Cornwell: Dean Of Illustrators has long been out of print and unavailable to American art history studies. This superbly reproduced and presented Collectors Press edition is a very welcome contribution to personal and academic artbook collections and will well serve to introduce a major American talent to a whole new generation of students and aspiring artists and illustrators.

Let me first say that I do enjoy this book immensely. However, if you are not a Cornwell fanatic you may find the price a bit steep. I have to agree with the other reviewers in regards to the grayscale plates. I was a huge disappointment to see such a large number of images stripped of their color. It may have been just as economical (since that was most likely the motivation for B&W) and more satisfying to include (if available) more of Cornwell's drawings which are really fantastic. That being said, I still look through the book quite often...maybe because I'm a Cornwell fanatic.