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Cover Illustration for "Two Worlds" by Poul Anderson
Artist
Jack Gaughan
Author
Poul Anderson
Date1978
Mediumacrylic paint; illustration board
DimensionsOverall (HWD): 10 1/2 × 14 1/2 in. (26.67 × 36.83 cm)
Credit LineMoPOP permanent collection, gift of Jack Gaughan Estate
Object number2014.18.27
Text EntriesThis painting, by Jack Gaughan, is of the wraparound cover of the book Two Worlds, by Poul Anderson (1978). This omnibus edition collected two of Anderson’s novels: Planet of No Return (1956) and World Without Stars (1967).
The layout of the painting clearly indicates its intended use as a book cover. Notice how the right panel, which would be the front cover, contains open areas at the top and bottom. These areas are kept clear for the book’s title and the author’s name. Moving right to left, the narrow, center rectangle also has clear space for the book’s title on the spine. The composition on the left, with multiple images, reflects how the book contains various stories.
The painting is part of the Jack Gaughan archive, which was generously gifted to MoPOP by his estate in 2014. The archive contains many paintings, thousands of interior illustrations, and nearly 100 sketchbooks. It’s a nearly-complete record of the career of a prolific science fiction and fantasy artist, and even includes all financial records relating to his artwork. Gaughan was active from the mid-1950s until his untimely death in 1985.
A ten and a half inch high by fourteen and a half inch wide painting on artist board. Yellows, reds, and oranges dominate the palette. The right half of the painting shows a red spaceship flying over a barren orb with a dry, cracked surface. The sky above is yellow and full of swirls. The left side of the painting is composed of six rectangular images: a black rocket rising against an orange background; a cratered planet in front of a red background; a man in a deep blue spacesuit against a red background; a hilly landscape in yellow with a deep red sun; a small spaceship flying toward a mechanical looking satellite or planet; an alien with a cone-shaped body, tentacles for legs and arms, with a ring of eyes near the top of its body.
CopyrightThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For more information, see http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
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