When he was asked whether he ever had the desire, as have had so many illustrators, to go in for what is known as 'straight painting,' Dean Cornwell replied:
"It is love of romance that makes Americans the greatest readers of fiction, and producers of the greatest number of films. That is one reason why I would rather be an illustrator than do so-called straight painting. I appeal to this spirit in thousands of people, whereas if I painted a picture and showed in an exhibition, and if it were lucky enough to be bought, only a few people would see it."
--
"Dean Cornwell: Factor in a New Art" article by Helen Appleton Read in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1924, from Fulton History.
And yet Cornwell devoted an immense amount of time and effort into becoming known as a muralist, which he seems to have felt was a loftier calling than being an illustrator. The audience for a mural isn't as limited as that of a gallery painting, but it's still far smaller than the mass audience of illustration. This statement was still comparatively early in Cornwell's career, though. Perhaps he changed his mind after a few more years of slaving for the magazines.
ReplyDeleteThis is an outstanding sentiment and a great response to "art vs illustration." Bravo.
ReplyDelete