Jerry Fearing Illustration from "Ol' Man River"
Jerry Fearing (b. 1930). Watercolor and ink on paper; illustration from "Ol' Man River" (Afton Historical Society Press, 2005). Signed along the lower left. A River Gallery, St. Paul, Minnesota, label is adhered along the verso.
Provenance: Private collection, Minnesota
Lot Essay: Minnesota cartoonist Jerry Fearing was beloved for his work at the St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press, as well as his children’s books, which playfully celebrate Minnesota life. Born in St. Paul in 1930, Fearing drew constantly while growing up. He later described the need to draw as a compulsion, a drive he could not prevent. He would spend hours poring over comic books, learning from the art he saw there. He began his career at the St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press shortly after graduating high school. He began working for the advertising department delivering proofs, but soon moved up to illustrating ads for them, and from there, to being a full-on illustrator and cartoonist for the paper.
Fearing created a wide variety of illustrations and cartoons for the Dispatch and Pioneer Press over the course of many years at the paper, but was best known for his long-running cartoon series about various aspects of Minnesota, including politics, fauna, and history. Two of his tremendously popular history series, The Picture Story of the Minnesota Sioux Uprising and The Story of Minnesota, were published as books after their run in the newspaper, at which point they became a staple in schools, inspiring generations of young Minnesotans.
Along with his work for the newspaper, Fearing illustrated books and wrote his own book, Christmas on West Seventh Street, an autobiographical series of anecdotes about Fearing’s childhood Christmases in St. Paul. During his career, Fearing was a well-loved member of the newspaper community, making friends with many writers and other cartoonists, including Charles Schulz. In a 2014 interview, Fearing recounted that he felt “lucky” to have gotten to work at the St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press “during the end of [newspapers’] heyday.”
This illustration is classic Fearing--whimsical, well-executed, and poking just the right amount of fun at the subject. It is an original illustration from Ol’ Man River: Memoirs of a Riverboat Captain (Afton Historical Society Press, 2005), one of the many books Fearing illustrated throughout his career. Ol’ Man River is the memoirs of Bill Bowell, a longtime Mississippi riverboat captain. Fearing depicts this colorful character as a cheerfully piratical figure with a cigar and sunglasses, swaggering along the deck of a ship. Through his depiction, Fearing breathes life into the legend of his subject, displaying his skill at storytelling as well as his joy in illustrating Minnesota history. Dimensions: Sight; height: 7 1/4 in x width: 4 3/4 in. Framed; height: 14 1/4 in x width: 11 3/4 in.
SKU: 02307
Condition Report: Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email lia@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.
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Jerry Fearing (b. 1930). Watercolor and ink on paper; illustration from "Ol' Man River" (Afton Historical Society Press, 2005). Signed along the lower left. A River Gallery, St. Paul, Minnesota, label is adhered along the verso.
Provenance: Private collection, Minnesota
Lot Essay: Minnesota cartoonist Jerry Fearing was beloved for his work at the St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press, as well as his children’s books, which playfully celebrate Minnesota life. Born in St. Paul in 1930, Fearing drew constantly while growing up. He later described the need to draw as a compulsion, a drive he could not prevent. He would spend hours poring over comic books, learning from the art he saw there. He began his career at the St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press shortly after graduating high school. He began working for the advertising department delivering proofs, but soon moved up to illustrating ads for them, and from there, to being a full-on illustrator and cartoonist for the paper.
Fearing created a wide variety of illustrations and cartoons for the Dispatch and Pioneer Press over the course of many years at the paper, but was best known for his long-running cartoon series about various aspects of Minnesota, including politics, fauna, and history. Two of his tremendously popular history series, The Picture Story of the Minnesota Sioux Uprising and The Story of Minnesota, were published as books after their run in the newspaper, at which point they became a staple in schools, inspiring generations of young Minnesotans.
Along with his work for the newspaper, Fearing illustrated books and wrote his own book, Christmas on West Seventh Street, an autobiographical series of anecdotes about Fearing’s childhood Christmases in St. Paul. During his career, Fearing was a well-loved member of the newspaper community, making friends with many writers and other cartoonists, including Charles Schulz. In a 2014 interview, Fearing recounted that he felt “lucky” to have gotten to work at the St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press “during the end of [newspapers’] heyday.”
This illustration is classic Fearing--whimsical, well-executed, and poking just the right amount of fun at the subject. It is an original illustration from Ol’ Man River: Memoirs of a Riverboat Captain (Afton Historical Society Press, 2005), one of the many books Fearing illustrated throughout his career. Ol’ Man River is the memoirs of Bill Bowell, a longtime Mississippi riverboat captain. Fearing depicts this colorful character as a cheerfully piratical figure with a cigar and sunglasses, swaggering along the deck of a ship. Through his depiction, Fearing breathes life into the legend of his subject, displaying his skill at storytelling as well as his joy in illustrating Minnesota history. Dimensions: Sight; height: 7 1/4 in x width: 4 3/4 in. Framed; height: 14 1/4 in x width: 11 3/4 in.
SKU: 02307
Condition Report: Please contact us for a detailed condition report. Please note that the lack of a condition statement does not imply perfect condition. Email lia@revereauctions.com with any condition questions.
