Shelf Candy Saturday #20: The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas

This wonderful book meme/blog hop

is hosted by

Stephanie @

Five Alarm Book Reviews!!

The purpose of this feature is to display

a beautiful book cover,

with information, if available,

about the cover illustrator,

photographer, and/or designer.

For all the participation rules,

just click

HERE.

Here's my pick for this week!

 

The Robe

Lloyd C. Douglas

Hardcover, 508 pages

People's Book Club: Chicago, Illinois

1942

Genres: Christian Fiction,

Historical Fiction

(photo: Downtown Books Milwaukee)

 

Why do I love this cover?

I just love the detailed realism of this artist's style!  It really has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated, I think, but even in this photograph one can see that this is the work of a very, very talented artist.  The scene depicted here is the one in which Marcellus, the novel's protagonist, puts on Christ's robe, which he had won in a game of dice at the foot of the cross.  He's at a lavish banquet given by Pontius Pilate, and the spectators are already half-drunk.  Pilate himself is watching the proceedings with a bored look on his face.  The man sitting next to him has completely succumbed to the wine's effects.   The symbols of Rome's dominion are leaning against a massive column behind them. 

I also love the font used for the title.  It's appropriately ancient-looking, and goes quite well with the cover illustration.  The scene is framed in a shade of red that matches the color of the Roman uniforms, and this, too, is very effective.

The book also contains several absolutely gorgeous illustrations, as you can see from the examples below.  Even the endpapers are illustrated!

This is a rare edition of the novel, which I bought on eBay about a week ago,  for a total of $19.31, including shipping and handling.  I had never seen it before, and simply couldn't pass it up!  Besides, the dustjacket is in a mylar sleeve, so it's very well protected. 

This is the front endpaper illustration,

which depicts the soldiers throwing the dice.

(Photo: Downtown Books Milwaukee)

This illustration follows page 380, and depicts Marcellus

and his girlfriend Diana, on the island of Capri.

(Photo: zenscapes)

Dean Cornwell

(March 5, 1892 - Dec. 4, 1960)

Cornwell is the wonderful creator of the art for this book.  The following text is from the back flap of the dustjacket.  This is the first time I've come across a book that credits the illustrator so prominently. 

Dean Cornwell was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1892.  One of America's leading muralists and illustrators, he received his art training at the Chicago Art Institute, and has exhibited in the major art galleries both here and abroad.  His murals decorate many public buildings and homes, including the Los Angeles Public Library and the State Building in Nashville, Tennessee. 

In 1941 he executed three 50-foot murals on the history of transportation for Eastern Air Lines in Rockefeller Center**.  He is a painter member of the New York City Art Commission and a National Academician.

**This is in New York City, for my international readers.

Here are more examples of Cornwell's work, along with further biographical information:

American Art Archives: Dean Cornwell

Sacred Art Pilgrim: Dean Cornwell

Art and Influence: Dean Cornwell

So what do you think 

of this cover, and

the illustrations inside the book?

What beautiful cover(s) 

are you featuring this week?