Monday, November 7, 2022

John Gannam's Bedroom Scenes

John Gannam - né Fouzi Hanna Boughanam - (1905 or 1907 - 1965) was a highly skilled and respected illustrator active from the 1920s until his death at age 59.   Besides being reclusive, other departures from the norm were his extensive use of watercolor and that he apparently was totally self-taught.

Here are some background sources.  Society of Illustrators: here for views by fellow illustrators.  A detailed appreciation by illustration maven David Apatoff: here. James Gurney: here, presenting Gannam's depictions of mothers and children.

Another example of multiple illustrations with a common theme is bedroom scenes, the subject of today's post.

One reason for those bedroom scenes was that Gannam was contracted to illustrate advertisements for Pacific Mills' bedsheets.  But he also painted some bedroom scenes under other circumstances.

Gallery

First, five Pacific Mills illustrations.





I'm not sure if this was for Pacific Mills or was a story illustration.

The same applies here.

For the story "Guest Husband," Ladies' Home Journal, March 1946.

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