Fadeaway: The Remarkable Imagery of Coles Phillips

by Coles Phillips, Scott Fischer (Introduction), Jeff A. Menges (Editor)

Coles Phillips (1880–1927) was among the most in-demand illustrators in his field during the 1910s and 20s. A dynamic and highly skilled watercolor artist and draftsman, Phillips created dozens of covers for mainstream American magazines, including Good Housekeeping, Life, and The Saturday Evening Post. In 1908 he created a style in which the figure in the foreground blended seamlessly into the background, rendering some amount of the clothing invisible save for the edges. Dubbed "The Fadeaway," the eye-catching technique became a huge hit and was employed to great effect by the artist for most of his career.
This original compilation features more than 80 color plates selected from two of Phillips' early collections, A Gallery of Girls and A Young Man's Fancy, in addition to images from other sources. An Introduction by illustrator and graphic designer Scott M. Fischer provides a modern appraisal and speaks to Phillips' lasting influence. Students of illustration, graphic design, and advertising as well as fans of 1920s fashion will appreciate this collection of striking works by a Golden Age designer-illustrator.

Genres: Art

96 pages, Paperback

Published February 13, 2019

Reviews

[Bronwyn]

I love this. There’s a short introduction and a short biography at the end; the main body of the book is selections of Coles Phillips’ illustrations. I’m a big fan of his work, so having a book of it is wonderful. My only complaint would be that I wish it were arranged chronologically, so you could see his work evolve, but I understand why it’s organized the way it is. I’ve already gone through it multiple times and I’m sure I’ll go through it many more. (And go look up his art if you don’t know him! He does beautiful work.)

[Meriwether Kimball]

ahhhhhhh gorgeous...

[T M]

These artworks were created by an ancestor of mine. I am highly impressed, as I didn't know of his work until recently. Beautiful work.

[Tania]

Fascinating! I really enjoyed learning about this artist.