An illustration for a 1930s issue of Boy’s World
Born in poverty in Regensburg, Germany and orphaned at any early age, Fischer ran away at the age of 15 and came to America as a deckhand on the Gwyndr Castle, which experience he later recounted and illustrated in his own book Focs’le Days: A story of My Youth (19 ). He went on to sail in American boats for three years, until taking on work as a model and handyman for A. B. Frost, the noted sporting artist in 1905, leaving 14 months later with inspiration to become an artist. He went to Paris in October 1906 and studied for two years with Jean Paul Laurens at the Academie Julian, returning to New York in 1910. Fischer began specializing in popular, human interest illustration for many of the major magazines, selling his first illustration to Harpers Weekly that same year. He illustrated the magazine adventure stories of Jack London until the author’s death in 1916 and went on to become one of the most successful commercial artists working on commission for the Saturday Evening Post (creating more than 1000 illustrations for the magazine over a 48-year span). Admiring the work of Howard Pyle, he moved to Wilmington in 1912 and opened a studio, while studying under the master illustrator. It was there that he met his future wife, fellow art student Mary Ellen Sigsbee. They moved back to New York and lived in various locations, eventually moving to the Catskill town of Woodstock in the late 1930s, where he lived until his death in 1962. During World War II, he was made the artist laureate of the U.S. Coast Guard with a commission as lieutenant commander in the reserves.
Extremely prolific, Fischer produced an immense variety of subjects with uncanny accuracy. He illustrated such popular serial stories of the Depression era as Kyne’s “ Cappy Ricks”, Gilpatrick’s “Glencannon”, as well as serials by Kenneth Roberts, and Nordhoff and Hall. His most famous character illustrations were for the “Tug-boat Annie” series, but his personal favorite was Glencannon. But he was best known for his marine works of the sea and the vessels that plied her. However, it was the men who crewed such ships and boats with whom he held such a close affinity and his realistic, yet sympathetic portrayals of their lives and adventures were unrivalled among his peers. Reproductions of Fischer’s oil paintings graced the covers and pages of many best-selling adventure novels and salty tales, including The Cruise of the Cachalot: Round the World After Sperm Whales, The Mutineers, The Dark Frigate and editions of classics, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island and Moby Dick.
Measurement: 7" x 3.25"
Material: Oil on artist’s board
Price: $1,150
SKU 233-42
For More Information, Please Contact David Hillier at 978-597-8084 or email drh@aaawt.com.
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