Last call for ‘Mr. Time’
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An exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery of art by Boris Chaliapin, Time Magazine’s most prolific cover artist, is now in its final weeks.
Chaliapin (1904-1979), a Russian-born illustrator, was nicknamed ‘Mr. Time,’ a fitting designation for a prolific artist renowned for his quick-turnaround time. Creating over 400 covers for Time from 1942 to 1970, sometimes in as little as 12 hours, Chaliapin worked in pencil, watercolor and oil to create iconic images that stuck a chord with readers across the country. This exhibition of 26 original works includes cover art of Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, Harry Truman, Julia Child and Muhammad Ali.
Time, America’s last surviving mass-market newsweekly, has seen its circulation decline steadily over the last ten years, falling more than 20% since 2003. Curated by James Barber, this exhibition, recognizing a recent gift of 130 of Chaliapin’s artworks, recalls a bygone era when the printed page still reigned supreme.
Mr. Time: Portraits by Boris Chaliapin, on view through January 5, 2013, National Portrait Gallery, Eight and F Streets NW, Washington D.C., 202-633-8300, www.npg.si.edu
More information about Xico Greenwald’s work can be found at xicogreenwald.com
