Kurt Ard

Kurt Ard (1925-) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He illustrated covers for numerous American magazines. Including eight for The Saturday Evening Post. Ard was a illustrator, painter and printmaker. He became internationally famous for his narrative cover artwork published in popular magazines of the 1950s-1970s, including the Family Journal, the Saturday Evening Post and Reader’s Digest. Ard started his career at various smaller newspapers and worked in the same realistic tradition as his role model, illustrator and painter, Norman Rockwell.

 

He pursued a fine arts career since his boyhood. Apprenticing himself to an experienced and established Danish painter, he was determined to “paint everything as accurately and realistically as possible,” he recalls.

During WW II, Kurt struggled to fulfill commission orders while the businesses purchasing them crumbled under German bombing attacks. Undaunted, Ard persisted with his painting and his reputation and success grew steadily in the post war years. His illustrations soon appeared in major European publications, and he subsequently achieved international fame as his work was featured on several front covers of the Saturday Evening Post. Over the course of his career Ard sold more than 1000 illustrations to the best magazines in Europe, and to American publications such as McCalls, Good Housekeeping and Redbook.

c1950s Interior scene with a woman and two men
tempera on paperboard 39.8 x 47 cm

1957 Cover of Allers magazine
17 February 1957

c1957 New Year
mixed media on paperboard 59 x 43.4 cm

1957 Now and Then
cover illustration for Familie Journal, May 28 1957
tempera on paperboard 60.9 x 45.4 cm

1957 In The Dentist’s Chair artwork
The Saturday Evening Post 19 October 1957

The Saturday Evening Post 19 October 1957

1958 The Saturday Evening Post
August 16, 1958

1958 The Saturday Evening Post
November 15, 1958

1958 Child at Photographer artwork
Saturday Evening Post 15 November 1958

The Saturday Evening Post 15 November 1958

1959 It looked bigger in the brochure
artwork for Panorama magazine cover  
mixed media on paperboard 69.5 x 49.8 cm 

1959 Panorama magazine cover

1959 Knight in Distress
Panorama magazine cover 21 February 1959

1959 First Kiss
cover artwork for Panorama magazine 21 February 1959

Panorama magazine 21 February 1959

1967 Cover of Allers magazine
22 January 1967

Note: Dates were not found for the remainder of images in this post:

"Whatever my other shortcomimgs..." 
mixed media on paperboard 46.3 x 46.9 cm

"I thought you didn't go anywhere..."
mixed media on paperboard 55.8 x 49.5 cm

"As the summer wore on..." 
mixed media on paperboard 46.3 x 63.5 cm

Animal Love
mixed media on paperboard 56.5 x 48.2 cm

Cactus
oil on canvas 71.1 x 53.3 cm

Cowboy asleep in Beauty Salon
tempera and pencil on paperboard 60.3 x 47.6 cm

1939 Allers magazine cover

1940 Family Journal
They are worth their weight in gold

1940 Family Journal
They are worth their weight in gold

On the Bank of the Precipice
oil on canvas 43.1 x 63.5 cm

Salvekvick Bandages advertisement 
mixed media on paperboard 55.8 x 45.7 cm

Unfair Competition
oil on ? 53.3 x 41.9 cm

While the grass grows
mixed media on paperboard 60.9 x 46.3 cm

Young Couple - Old Couple
mixed media on paperboard 58.2 x 42.8 cm