Dean Cornwell (American, 1892-1960). Captain Blood Inspecting the Treasure Chest Jewels, Cosmopolitan interior, July 193...

Description

Dean Cornwell (American, 1892-1960)
Captain Blood Inspecting the Treasure Chest Jewels, Cosmopolitan interior, July 1930
Oil on canvas
26 x 52 inches (66.0 x 132.1 cm)
Initialed and dated lower right: DC / 30
Initialed, dated, and inscribed on reverse: DC / LONDON / 1930

PROVENANCE:
Previously from the Estate of Charles Martignette

EXHIBITED:
Society of Illustrators, September 2001.

Dean Cornwell's virtuosic illustration for Rafael Sabatini's story "Ransom - Captain Blood" first appeared as a two-page spread in the July 1930 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.

Captain Blood is among the most important pirate heroes of the 20th century, and Cornwell's dramatic depictions of the swashbuckling Irish doctor helped capture the history, romance, and moral depth of these tales.

In Captain Blood Inspecting the Treasure Chest Jewels, Cornwell portrays Blood and his men engaged in the work of piracy. In a scene depicting the crew bringing freshly claimed bounty from a downed Spanish wreck to shore, gleaming gold and jewelry are centrally depicted, however, the true focus of the image lies in the expressions of the pirates themselves. Rather than triumph, mistrust and resentment are readable on their faces as they exchange wary glances. Blood, seated front and center, holds back any simmering conflict with his commanding presence. The human drama of a pirate's life is the true subject of this masterful composition.

This work, was created during Cornwell's time in London while studying mural painting under Frank Brangwyn. It marks a stylistic shift toward a more muralistic approach, characterized by bold outlines and an intentionally flattened composition, freezing the moment in time like a cinematic frame.

Like the character Captain Blood, Cornwell's influence cannot be overstated. Known for decades as the "Dean of Illustrators," he began instructing, mentoring, and inspiring generations of artists early in his prolific career. He served as president of the Society of Illustrators and lectured at the Art Students League, where he had once studied under Harvey Dunn-who, in turn, had been a student of Howard Pyle. "Unless you consider illustration so fine a thing as to be worth your last ounce of strength and effort-don't be an illustrator," Cornwell once advised. He lived up to this edict, working seven days a week and producing over 1,000 illustrations for nearly every major publication in the country, including Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Redbook, and Good Housekeeping. He also contributed to hundreds of major advertising campaigns and created some of the most iconic World War II posters for the American war effort.

Vigorous, bold, and commanding in both subject and scale, Captain Blood Inspecting the Treasure Chest Jewels stands as a powerful example from the Dean of Illustrators at the peak of his talent.


More information about Dean Cornwell. See also: Cornwell, Dean Artist.



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