“As the Summer Wore On …” by Kurt Ard (1958)
The full caption reads: “As the summer wore on, she became accustomed to all their whimsical pretend games and learned to take part in them.”
The illustration features an older woman shooting a water gun into a little boy’s face as two other little boys lay in the grass beside them.
Much like Norman Rockwell, Kurt Ard was inspired by everyday life and he often used his wife and children as models, striving to portray figures and their surroundings as accurately as possible.
Ard’s strong attention to detail creates a visual delight on canvas and enhances the relatability of his narratives.
These charming scenes of childhood and witty commentaries on relationships and daily life are representative of Ard’s endearing humor that defines his signature style.
Kurt Ard was born in 1925 in Copenhagen and is a Danish illustrator, painter and graphic artist.
He became internationally known for a large number of cover pictures for journals from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, including the Scandinavian magazines Allers and Familie Journalen as well as for German listening.
Kurt Ard followed his emigrated family to California in 1950, and then began his career in New York with various smaller magazines.
Ard worked in the same realistic painting tradition as his model, the American illustrator Norman Rockwell (1894–1978).
In 1953, Ard returned to his homeland, Denmark, and four years later he achieved his breakthrough with title illustrations for listening to others.
Kurt Ard had a simpler style than Rockwell, but he also gained great recognition from his audience for his craftsmanship and his often folk and humorous title illustrations.
Notes:
You can view and/or purchase the works of Kurt Ard: https://www.art.com/gallery/id–a273218/kurt-ard-posters.htm
