Frank R. Paul (1884-1963)

Original painting for the back cover to the April 1961 Giant Anniversary Issue of Amazing Stories by the ‘Father of Science Fiction’  Illustration, Frank R. Paul.

Gouache on board, signed lower left, from the Collection of Sam Moskowitz.

11” x 15”, with frame 19 ¾”  x  20”

This painting constitutes the only other known private commission to Paul (the other two being bought by Forrest J. Ackerman). In this commission, Sam had Paul paint a scene from his popular “life on Other Worlds” theme that had graced previous AMAZING back covers in the 1940s, using elephants (Sam’s wife Christine had a collection of elephant statues and illustrations) and, since Moskowitz had a close friendship and professional working relationship with the Amazing editor and publisher, he allowed this painting to be used for the back cover.

 Ray Bradbury had this to say: "As for me, Frank R. Paul romanced me with future architectures when I was eight, summoning me to cities lost in the Time Ahead until he landed me in shocks of joy, in the colored facades and high-rises of the Chicago World's Fair." In Infinite Worlds, Vincent di Fate, 1997, Penguin Studio, p. 5   (courtesy of Frank Wu)