Cover Illustration for "Two Worlds" by Poul Anderson
This 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.