Magnificent original painting by Mort Kunstler of John Glenn wearing his Mercury space suit in front of his Friendship 7 capsule, acrylic on cold press illustration board, 13.75 x 12.75, accomplished in 1985, signed in the lower left in black paint, "M. Kunstler, '85." Archivally matted with silver-toned fillet and framed to an overall size of 25.25 x 24.25. In very fine condition.
A native New Yorker, Kunstler has long been considered one of America's premier historical artists. In a career spanning more than fifty years, Kunstler has earned widespread acclaim for his accurate depictions of historical figures and events—from the Civil War to the Apollo 11 moon landing. In addition to being published in numerous magazines, among them The Saturday Evening Post, Reader's Digest, and Newsweek, Kunstler has also created advertisements for corporations like General Electric, Exxon, and US Steel. In 1981, NASA made him their official artist for the new space shuttle Columbia, during which time he illustrated its manufacture, launching, and landing. Strikingly imagined by Kunstler with his engaging trademark style, this is a simply sensational portrait of Glenn as the first American to orbit the Earth.
