Richard Hook Painting

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DanPat

DanPat

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I may have asked this question here a while back, but if I did - I don't remember! Has anybody ever heard of this artist/illustrator - Richard Hook? I purchased some framing supplies and inventory from someone, and received a few paintings by Richard and his wife Frances. One in particular does not have a signature, but on the back it says "Painted by Richard Hook for Argosy Magazine". Looks likely to be from the 50's. It kind of has a Norman Rockwell look about it with several people standing outside a gallery looking into the window where there is a painting of a nude lady. Everybody in the painting has a different reaction to the picture in the gallery window. It's more illustrative than a Rockwell, but kind of along those lines. If anyone has any information on this artist, I would appreciate if you could contact me. I may also be interested in selling this painting, but would like to get some sort of a value on it first.

Thanks
 
Hope this Helps

Ah, yes, Argosy--the original pulp fiction magazine.

Richard Hook had illustrations in the Jun ’57, Aug ’57, Mar ’58, Apr ’59, and Jun ’59 issues of Argosy. It would be really cool if you could locate a copy of the magazine to go with your print.

When asking the Internet, Google is your friend.

Looks like there were/are at least four artists by the name of Richard Hook. You are probably not looking for the Victorian era artist, nor the one living in Sussex, doing Native American art--and probably not the Australian painter and printmaker born in 1945.

So, that leaves this one.

http://www.askart.com/askart/artist.aspx?artist=81214

It's a pay site, so getting the auction price will cost you about 20 bucks. They do have a free list of half a dozen books that reference his work, and that would be another search altogether. One might give the list to a local librarian and see what could be obtained on inter-library loan.

As to Frances and Richard, they were apparently popular in religious circles. According to http://picturesofjesus4you.com/artist10h.html


"Frances & Richard Hook were a talented and inspired couple whose Sketches of Jesus
are known worldwide. Their works are often credited to the other. Most created in 1960/70's"

And Frances has other listings at

Frances http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/hook/hook.htm

The religious works may have been a later period in their lives, as they both did magazine stuff in the 1940-50 period.

HOOK, RICHARD
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Jan 17 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Jan 24 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Jan 31 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Feb 7 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Feb 14 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Feb 21 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Feb 28 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Mar 6 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post May 1 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Jun 26 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Aug 14 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Sep 11 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Oct 9 ’48
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Jan 7 ’50
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Jan 14 ’50
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Jan 21 ’50
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Jan 28 ’50
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Feb 4 ’50
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Feb 11 ’50
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Feb 18 ’50
Interior Artwork; The Saturday Evening Post Feb 25 ’50
Cover Artist; Bluebook Apr ’54
Interior Artwork; Argosy Jun ’57
Interior Artwork; Argosy Aug ’57
Interior Artwork; Argosy Mar ’58
Interior Artwork; Argosy Apr ’59
Interior Artwork; Family Circle May ’59
Interior Artwork; Argosy Jun ’59

HOOK, FRANCES
Interior Artwork; Good Housekeeping Apr ’44
Interior Artwork; Good Housekeeping Oct ’44

Hope this helps.
 
Update

I did finally find a copy of the Argosy magazine containing the illustration that I own. I was so intrigued by the story that accompanied it, that I decided to post the information on my blog soon, along with a picture of the illustration. The illustration was painted for a story that came out in the March 1958 edition of Argosy. The story is about a man named Harry Reichenbach, a movie promoter from the early 1900's. Supposedly, he is the man who made the french painting "September Morn" popular. This story was written shortly after the Metropolitan Museum acquired the painting September Morn. It's an interesting story, and I will reply to this post after I finish the blog.
 
Argosy

Thanks for sharing this.
 
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