ARTIST: Gerry Gersten (New York, 1927 - 2017)
TITLE: Illustration - Round Up
YEAR: 1977
MEDIUM: graphite on paper. Paper applied to board.
CONDITION: Minor damages to corners. Some age toning.
ART SIZE: 16 x 12 inches / 41 x 30 cm
BOARD SIZE: 20 x 15 inches / 51 x 38 cm
SIGNATURE: unsigned
PROVENANCE: Franklin Mint Collection; Illustration for Ring Lardner book 'Round Up'
LOCATION: This lot is located at our Dania Beach, FL office.
CATEGORY: old antique vintage painting for auction sale online
AD: ART WANTED: Consign, Trade In, Cash Offer
SKU#: 159050
BIOGRAPHY:
Gerry Gersten was born October 17, 1927, in New York City to Polish Jewish immigrant parents. He and his sister Hedy grew up in The Bronx, New York City. His parents did not agree with his decision to become an illustrator. "I remember once picking up a copy of Life magazine and saying to them, 'A page in this magazine would cost an advertiser $50,000, of course you can make a living in this field.' But I couldn't convince them. They wanted me to be an accountant." Gersten studied at Cooper Union, graduating in 1950.
Gersten emerged as a noted caricaturist in the 1960s, with illustrations appearing in hundreds of books and major publications including The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and Esquire. He gained recognition for his cover of Arthur D. Morse's 1968 book While Six Million Died, depicting President Franklin Roosevelt averting his eyes from the Holocaust.
In 1986, he began a 23-year association with Mad magazine, illustrating 39 articles, including numerous "impact pieces" and redefining the recurring "The MAD Nasty File" feature. His last contribution appeared in 2001.
His caricatures earned admiration from public figures: after drawing Joe Namath following the 1969 Super Bowl, the quarterback requested a copy; Vice President George H. W. Bush later called one of his portraits a "masterpiece." In 2008, historian Rafael Medoff commissioned Gersten to illustrate the cover of Blowing the Whistle on Genocide, praising the result as a fitting tribute.
Gersten's awards include honors from the Society of Illustrators, the Art Director's Club, and the Society of Publication Designers. His work has been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of American Illustration, and the Cornell Museum, among other venues.
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