I used this painting for a post last December, so of course the artist died weeks later.
Mort Künstler, Renowned Painter of Epic Historical Scenes, Dies at 97
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/arts/mort-kunstler-dead.html
As the NYTimes obituary points out, the renowned painter of historical scenes got his start with lurid covers for men’s magazines. What the obit doesn’t say is that one of Künstler’s earliest clients was Martin Goodman, publisher of Atlas Comics, later rebranded as Marvel Comics.
https://www.menspulpmags.com/an-interview-with-artist-mort-kunstler-part-1/
It’s perhaps a stretch labeling Künstler as the “Godfather of Pulp Fiction Illustration,” as there were quite a few pulp magazine artists before him. The godfather of men’s magazines would probably be more accurate.
Künstler passed away less than a week from the 80th anniversary of the death of the outstanding pulp artist H.J. Ward at age 36. Ward’s wife was the model for all of the women in his paintings.
