Chesley Bonestell (American, 1888-1986). The Star-Studded Reaches of Measureless Space, LIFE magazine cover

Description

Chesley Bonestell (American, 1888-1986)
The Star-Studded Reaches of Measureless Space, LIFE magazine cover, December 20, 1954
Oil on board
19-1/2 x 15-1/8 inches (49.5 x 38.4 cm)
Signed lower right: Chesley Bonestell

The Bob and Diane Yaspan Collection

Star-Studded Reaches of Measureless Space appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine on December 20, 1954, as part of their series "The World We Live In". Depicting the double star RW Persei, the work went on to appear in Chapter XII, "The Starry Universe" in the 1955 anthology that emerged from that series, also titled The World We Live In. This world was marked by Cold War tensions that informed the growing interest in space exploration as a form of soft power. In this context, The Star-Studded Reaches of Measureless Space carried cultural weight far beyond its artistry. In the work, Bonestell depicts a stark extraterrestrial landscape, with jagged rock spires and cratered terrain illuminated by a blazing sun and its companion body. By visualizing the possibility of interplanetary travel, this artist's work fed the public imagination and underscored the geopolitical urgency of reaching beyond Earth. Chesley Bonestell's vision not only shaped NASA's visual language but also stirred a generation to see space exploration as both a scientific destiny and a national imperative.


The work is accompanied by the December 20, 1954 LIFE magazine.


Estimate: $30,000 - up.

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