Paul Detlefsen

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Paul Detlefsen
Born(1899-10-03)October 3, 1899
DiedAugust 1, 1986(1986-08-01) (aged 86)

Paul Detlefsen (October 3, 1899 – August 1, 1986) was a commercial artist of the mid to late 20th century, associated with the "Hollywood scene".[1] He is known for his realistic depictions of serene, nostalgic scenes; his works were reproduced in a popular line of calendars and other prints.

Biography

Paul Detlefsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was the son of a medical doctor.[citation needed] He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before moving to Hollywood to build his reputation as a cartoonist.[citation needed] After not succeeding as an animator,[citation needed] he produced backdrops for films. In the 1920s, he worked under Ferdinand Earle--father of animator Eyvind Earle--on a "motion painting" adaptation of Faust in which Mary Pickford was slated to star.[2] He was nominated at the 17th Academy Awards, along with coworkers John Crouse and Nathan Levinson, for their work on the 1944 film The Adventures of Mark Twain.[3][4] The only other films Detlefsen is credited for are The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945), Escape in the Desert (1945), and Shadow of a Woman (1946), but he spent 20 years at Warner Brothers Studios, eventually rising to be in charge of the art department that created matte backdrops.[5]

Detlefsen then shifted to a career in calendar artwork. His art was lithographed into calendars, reproductions, playing cards, jigsaw puzzles, mats for tables, and even four-foot wide wall murals.[6] His first calendar, published in 1951, was "The Good Old Days", which focused on landscape art.[1] In 1969, UPI estimated that 80% of all Americans had seen his work.[5]

In 1964, Paul and his wife, Shelly,[citation needed] moved to Encinitas, California where Paul continued painting[citation needed] into the last few months of his life.

References

  1. ^ a b "Everyday Pictures for Millions". TIME. 1951-12-17. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007.
  2. ^ "Pickford's 'Faust' a Challenge". The Los Angeles Times. January 9, 1923. p. 26.
  3. ^ "The 17th Academy Awards (1945) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2013-06-23.
  4. ^ 17th Academy Award nominees at Classic Film Guide
  5. ^ a b UPI (1969-06-29). "Artist brushing up on future". Rome News-Tribune of Georgia. p. 6-A. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  6. ^ The Homestead Home Decorator Service (1967-03-19). "Two Giant 4 Ft. Full Color Murals (advertisement)". Family Weekly. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 11. Retrieved 2011-01-27.