None of the late Arthur Getz’s cover paintings for The New Yorker ever became as iconic as Saul Steinberg’s View of the World from Ninth Avenue, nor was his style as instantly recognizable as that of Charles Addams or William Steig or Roz Chast. In retrospect, it was the variety of his images that impresses most. And yet, a strong case could be made that his diverse oeuvre by itself defines the New Yorker “look.” Certainly he was the publication’s most prolific art contributor, producing a grand total of 213 covers between 1938 and 1988.
Trained at the Pratt Institute and later mentored by Philip Guston, Getz made his early mark as one of the muralists hired by the federal government during the Great Depression under the Works Progress Administration’s public art program. Besides having his paintings widely published in magazines, he went on to teach at the School of Visual Arts and the University of Connecticut, and also to write and illustrate children’s books.
Thirty of Getz’s original cover paintings, covering a timespan from the 1950s to the ’80s, are now on loan to the Moviehouse in Millerton for a summer exhibition in the M Studio Gallery. The show opens with a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. this Saturday, June 2. The public is invited, no tickets are required and refreshments will be served. The Moviehouse is located at 48 Main Street in Millerton. For more info, call (518) 789-0022 or visit www.themoviehouse.net.
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