Saturday, May 18, 2019

Dean Cornwell Panoramic Sketch

Up for auction right now is an unusual preliminary sketch by Dean Cornwell.


The panoramic gouache painting is 6" x 83", matted and framed. Cornwell painted it in preparation for the mural "Telephone Men and Women at Work" in Boston in 1951.


The 190-foot mural circles the lobby, with 197 life-size portraits telling the story of the history of the telephone.


Such a monumental mural requires a lot of planning. Cornwell produced a series of small sketches, first to get hired for the project, and then to plan the figure groupings.

Cornwell gave the original gouache sketch to teacher and painter Jack Faragasso, who turned 90 recently and has preserved the sketch all these years. 
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Online Auction: Christies Dean Cornwell Sketch through May 22
Book by: Jack Faragasso: The Student's Guide to Painting

5 comments:

  1. Amazing. I honestly have never understood how an artist can have an ego with so much great art and drawings out there, both recent and going back centuries. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I wish that mural was still on display. I live in Boston and stop by every once in a while see it but last time I was there it had been taken down and put in storage. Now its just a wall with disco glitter wallpaper over it.

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  3. I would like everyone to know that I still have this Original Cornwell piece and if anyone is interested in purchasing it, please contact Jack Faragasso at jackfaragasso@yahoo.com

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  4. Thanks, Jack. I hope it finds the perfect home.

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  5. I’m interested in your mural sketch James. A couple years ago we purchased a sketch of Bell from Heritage Auction that was created for this mural. I’ve never seen the full mural so hard to say. Please feel free to email me.

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