Chesley Bonestell (American, 1888-1986). Elephant Towers- World's Fair, San Francisco, 1937. Ink and watercolor on paper...

Description

Chesley Bonestell (American, 1888-1986)
Elephant Towers- World's Fair, San Francisco, 1937
Ink and watercolor on paper
15-1/4 x 21-1/2 inches (38.7 x 54.6 cm) (image)
Signed twice lower left: Chesley Bonestell / Chesley Bonestell

Before he was celebrated for his space art, Chesley Bonestell made his mark on the ground-by lending his architectural acumen to such landmarks as the Chrysler Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. Well respected in the Bay Area's commercial art world, Bonestell was enlisted to render Joseph Strauss's visionary plans for the Golden Gate Bridge, later turning his talents to the 1939 San Francisco World's Fair, also known as the Golden Gate International Exposition. Among his most evocative contributions is this rendering of the Court of the Moon on Treasure Island, where the majestic elephant towers at the Portals of the Pacific stand sentinel before the radiant Tower of the Sun. The piece is a masterclass in Bonestell's draftsmanship-a seamless blend of precision and imagination, grounded in architecture.

The present work is published on page 388 of the June 1937 special issue of Pencil Points devoted to the Exposition.


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