Harvey Johnson Oil Painting "The High Cost of Mail," 1968

Item Details

Harvey W. Johnson (American, born 1921)
The High Cost of Mail, 1968
Oil painting on canvas board
Signed and dated to lower right
Artist stamp to verso
Attribution label to verso

Born to artistic parents, Johnson showed great talent for illustration. While in high school, he became the “artist in residence” and art editor for the school’s magazine. After serving in World War II, Johnson studied at the Art Students League under Robert Johnson and Howard Trafton. While in New York, he gained employment at many advertising studios as an illustrator. He served as an instructor at the Famous Artists School in Connecticut for nearly twenty years. During his illustration years for early pulp magazines, Johnson established his admiration for the American Old West and frontier life. Eventually he would come to be a charter member of the Cowboy Artists of America and served as vice president in 1976 and president in 1977. His detailed depictions of the western scenes are highly collected.

• Item not examined outside of mounting

Condition

- minor dust accretions to surface; minor staining to right margin; overpainting to horses, upper right corner and shoulders of foremost figure; minor wear to frame; minor wear, tears and markings to verso; examined with UV light.

Dimensions

- measures frame; sight measures 23.25" W c x 17.25" H.

Item #

ITMGA18544