GIL COHEN
A highly schooled fine arts illustrator, Gil Cohen studied under Henry C. Pitz at the Philadelphia College of Art. In 1955, Cohen served as artist with the SHAEF Headquarters, Military Intelligence U.S. Army in West Germany.
His subsequent career as a freelance artist included service to a multitude of clients including the U.S. Information Agency, the National Park Service, Paramount Pictures, Bantam Books, Harlequin Books, Random House, Holt Reinhart Winston, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Coast Guard, Warner-Lambert and Boeing-Sikorsky.
Truly a "gold medal artist" Gil Gohen's exhibitions and awards are numerous. They include the National Military Park system, the Kennedy Center and the Pentagon. He has been awarded gold medals and best of shows by the American Society of Aviation Artists and has received the certificate of merit from the New York Society of Illustrators, as well as the Franklin Mint Award. Cohen is a member of the Air Force Art Program, the New York Society of Illustrators and serves as Coast Guard Illustrator. As an Artist Fellow Member of the American Society of Aviation Artists, he has held the position of Vice President and Chairman of the Exhibition Committee.
He also has a great interest in history and aviation which is reflected in much of his work. His vivid interest in the human aspects of the various wars throughout the centuries zeros in on the interactions between men, which eventually have lead to confrontations and successive warring between peoples and nations. He is continually mystified by the recurring observations that some of the most beautiful mechanisms of engineering, designed by humans, are often created by man for the purpose of war.
Cohen's creative energies are excited and stimulated by the abstract and geometric shapes of structures of all kinds. He has a keen interest in outer space and related subjects.
Gil Cohen Signed and numbered Limited Edition Print "Ploesti: The Odyssey of Utah Man/North Africa 1943"
Walter T. Stewart was a unique figure in the 93rd Bomb Group. Walt participated in the early missions from England and in the spring of 1943 got his own crew and plane. He proudly emblazoned Utah Man on his aircraft, a tribute to his college alma mater. In June, 1943, the 93rd, along with two other 8th Air Force groups, left England for North Africa. The three 8th Air Force groups joined two groups from the 9th Air Force already stationed in Africa. Their top-secret assignment was to bomb the oil-refining complex around Ploesti, Romania on 1 August 1943. The mission was to be flown at tree-top height—a radical departure from the normal bombing height of approximately 23,000 feet. Having already completed his required missions, Walt volunteered to lead his crew for this do-or-die raid.
Taking off at dawn, Utah Man was part of the lead wave of the 93rd. Approaching the target, haystacks gave way to reveal anti-aircraft emplacements; and chicken coops walls collapsed to reveal machine gun positions. Ted's Traveling Circus, as the 93rd was known, had flown into a flak concentration heavier than Berlin. Utah Man suffered major battle damage and struggled to stay in the air.
Finding themselves alone after hitting the target, Utah Man's crew braced themselves for the 1,000-mile journey home. Utah Man struggled across the Balkans, in constant danger of crashing, and eventually made it to the Mediterranean Sea. At the prospect of ditching in the ocean, the waist gunner roared over the intercom, "You call this an ocean? We got rivers in Montana wider than this pond!" Utah Man flew on.
In this Gil Cohen painting we see despair turned to joy as the long-overdue Utah Man lands at its temporary base near Benghazi, Libya. Ground crews, cooks and Red Cross women rush to meet the crew of the battered bomber. Operations officer, Major Ramsay D. Potts, who had returned from the raid earlier that day, greets Walt, who recounts his harrowing mission experience.
Exhausted from more than 13 hours in the air, the crew recounts the mission from the safety of the ground. Each man is grateful that he has survived the mission to Ploesti. Utah Man made it back.
This 31" by 14-1/2" image size print, 36" by 20" overall, limited to 650, is signed by the artist and cosigned by Colonel Walter T. Stewart.
Also available in an Artist proof Edition signed by the artist, Colonel Walter T. Stewart and Major General Ramsay Potts, limited to 75 - $260
A Limited Edition print is restricted to a certain number. For example, if 400 prints are made from an original painting, once they’re gone, that’s it. There is no limit to the number of open edition prints of a particular painting. That’s why Limited Edition prints are more expensive — and more valuable to collectors — than "open" edition. Rare objects are more valuable.
All Limited Edition prints are signed and numbered (S/N) individually and include a Certificate of Authenticity.
An Artist Proof (AP), generally, is the first 5% - 10% of the Limited Edition prints that come off the press. If the Limited Edition is 400 s/n, there would be 20 - 40 APs. This status is noted on the print. Collectors prefer APs because their value increases even more than a Limited Edition as time goes by.
All Limited Edition artwork is subject to availability at time of order. Although seller strives to remain currrent as to inventory, seller reserves the right to cancel a sale if item is no longer available at time of purchase.
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