"Businessman on the Beach, Post Cover"   Lot no. 4743

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By James Williamson (1899 - 1984)

1960
16.75" x 17.75", Framed 24.74" x 25.5"
Gouache on Board
Signed Lower Left

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Cover of The Saturday Evening Post Magazine, January 23, 1960

In our digital age, it's easy to get caught up in work, even on vacation. This image of a businessman engrossed in his correspondence is highly relatable in our modern era, even though it was painted in 1960. Swap the radiograms and newspapers for a smartphone pinging with emails and news alerts, and this scene could play out on any beach today, much to the chagrin of spouses everywhere. Dressed in a straw hat, robe, and hotel towel, the man still dons his loafers and diligently works while his wife enjoys the sights of young families frolicking on the beach and a bellhop stands idly by, awaiting further instruction. James Williamson's Post cover humorously captures the challenges of disconnecting in our always-on world.

 

The Post described, “Why did Mr. Holladay of New York fly down South–to make it more inconvenient to get his daily work done? This is only about 50 percent a silly question. Anyway, his wife is enjoying his vacation 100 percent. Meanwhile the eager-trayed bellhop is probably saving up money to emigrate to New York and there become rich enough to fly down South. A daffy thing about winter vacations is that the idea seems to be to get into the sun but keep in the shade. The gentle, azure water, the soft and lazy trade winds–they kindly soothe the psyche. But the sun is likely to cook the flesh before reaching the psyche. This can be solved by everybody’s being given a two-month vacation for slow tanning. Or, as artist Jim Williamson has done, go down South and live there.” (The Saturday Evening Post, January 23, 1960, page 3)

Copy of the magazine accompanies this piece, attached to the back



Explore related art collections: Seniors / 1960s / Beach/Summer / $50,000-$100,000 / Saturday Evening Post Covers / Humor

See all original artwork by James Williamson

ABOUT THE ARTIST

 

James W. Williamson made an immense number of advertising illustrations for such clients as Arrow Shirts, Cliquot Club Ginger Ale, Ford, Paul Jones and Yardley, all treated with circumspect restraint.

In his editorial illustration, however, his sense of humor emerged and became his most engaging characteristic. Williamson distilled action and renderings down to their essentials, allowing the poses of the figure to tell the story.

Williamson was born in Omaha, Nebraska; he was a graduate of the 1923 class at Yale. A self-taught artist, he sold his first work to the old Life magazine while still in college. This was followed by sales to Judge, Vanity Fair, The Delineator, and nearly all of the rest of the major magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post, where his work appeared for over thirty years.

During those years, his work was exhibited regularly at Art Directors Club shows in New York and Los Angeles, winning many awards. Williamson also taught at the Art Students League for a year in 1933.

 

 

 

 


 

Submitted by Richard J. Berenson, Former President, Museum of Illustration  and Comic and Cartoon Art at the Society of Illustrators

Walt Reed, The Illustrator in America, 1860–2000

(Via AskArt.com)