We’re in Pennsylvania! We’re on our annual fireworks shopping trip but we extended it a day so we could visit the gallery of famed fantasy artist Frank Frazetta.
Frazetta was an illustrator that initially worked in comics before a career painting paperback book covers that would influence fantasy and science fiction artwork to this day.
Most of his paintings were oil on canvas, but he was a talented artist that also used pencils, watercolor and ink and painted on various canvases including masonite (as seen above).
The museum is on the property he lived at in The Poconos, and displays 37 original oil paintings as well as a large amount of sketches and other paraphernalia related to his life and career.
Frazetta painted covers for many Conan and Tarzan novels, and his artwork was so recognizable and iconic it sold the books. His depiction of Conan in particular was archetypal, and to this day the usual image of Conan is based on Frazetta’s depiction.
Anyone that’s read any fantasy or science fiction written since 1970 has likely held a book with a Frazetta cover, and it was quite a thrill to see the original art used on so many of these books. In the photo above you can see an original oil painting of a wizard menacing two warriors, and the same image used on the cover of a 1979 calendar and a paperback from the 1970s (which I own).
He often painted over his works, even after they had been used for book or magazine covers. He did this to change lightning, facial expressions, to add/remove elements (such as clothing) or for various other reasons. Looking at the paintings close up it was obvious where paint-overs had occurred, and the gallery often included photographs of the originals for comparison. In my opinion some paint-overs improved the works but others didn’t, and the fact that originals were lost forever is something I find a little sad.
Frazetta was well-known during his life, and such was his skill and renown that he worked extensively in advertising and in the movie industry as well. The museum had many relics regarding this part of his career, but the letters from Clint Eastwood (above, with his phone number!) and George Lucas (thanking him for selling a painting) were my favourite. There was also a signed letter from President Eisenhower, who Frazetta had done a portrait of.
Frazetta died in 2010 (at age 82) and his works were divided amongst his four children. The museum is primarily the collection of one of the children, which is to say it’s hardly the entirety of Frazetta’s works. As probably the worlds foremost fantasy artist his fame has only grown since his death, and recent sales of three of his paintings for over $5 million will put pressure on his surviving family to sell off his works. I hope the museum can resist the urge since we thought it was a wonderful gallery of his life and works, and very much a place any fan of fantasy art would enjoy visiting.
They had an amazing shop with all sorts of merchandise. We bought some books, two canvas prints and a few other items but the real treasure was the above still sealed 1979 calendar! When will I open it? No man knows 🙂
