Gerard Richardson

Gerard Richardson (1910-1971) was an American painter and designer. He was born in New York City.

Gerard Richardson has been recognized as one of the most important naval artists of the twentieth century. [cite book |title=Who's Who in American Art|last=Bowker (editor)|publisher=R R Bowker Publishing|location=New York|date=1973] He generally signed his oil paintings in upper case letters "GERARD RICHARDSON", usually in red, on the lower right hand corner with a year date.Fact|date=September 2007

His famous painting, "Heavenly Mist", is a rendering of the sinking of John F. Kennedy's PT Boat 109 by the Japanese Destroyer, Amagiri. The painting was a favorite of the President's and remained in the White House until the assassination of President Kennedy. Currently the work is in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. [cite web|url=http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset+Tree/Asset+Viewers/Image+Asset+Viewer.htm?guid=%7B4EE337D0-0F76-49C1-B04C-2239762B2DBD%7D&type=Image | title ="Heavenly Mist" | accessdate=2007-09-27]

Career

Richardson was a Commander, later Captain, in the US Navy during World War II.Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center, 805 Kidder Breese SE, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 20374-5060.] He was married to Alicia Richardson. They had no children. He mostly did original paintings on a commission basis.Fact|date=September 2007 There are few signed prints ever authorized by him, but as the official U S Navy Artist during World War II he did thousands of unsigned prints of naval ships during World War II for the sailors who served aboard them. The originals of these ships reside in the U S Navy Museum..Fact|date=September 2007 Richardson did several large murals in the Washington D.C. area where he and his wife lived after World War II. Only one watercolor is known to have been done by him, a painting of the four-masted Spanish training ship, Juan Sebastián Elcano, known as El Cano, which is in a private collection, Allen Autry Sr Family collection, exhibited at askart.com.

Collections

The Syracuse University Library has a special collection of his papers and copies of some of his art works. Many of his paintings of ships and naval battles reside in the U.S. Navy Museum.

References

External links

* [http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset+Tree/Asset+Viewers/Image+Asset+Viewer.htm?guid=%7B4EE337D0-0F76-49C1-B04C-2239762B2DBD%7D&type=Image Image of painting "Heavenly Mist" in the JFK Library] .