Chesley Bonestell
| Chesley Bonestell | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Chesley Knight Bonestell, Jr. January 1, 1888 San Francisco, California USA |
| Died | June 11, 1986 (aged 98) Carmel, California USA |
| Occupation | Artist |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 1944–1986 |
| Subject | Science, science fiction, space |
| Spouse | Mary Hilton (1911–1918) (1940–1961) Ruby Helder (1922–1938) Hulda von Neumayer Ray (1962–1998) |
| Children | Jane Bonestell (1912–1989) |
Chesley Knight Bonestell, Jr. (January 1, 1888 – June 11, 1986) was an American painter, designer and illustrator. His paintings were a major influence on science fiction art and illustration, and he helped inspire the American space program. An early pioneering creator of astronomical art, along with the French astronomer-artist Lucien Rudaux, Bonestell was dubbed the "Father of Modern Space Art".
Bonestell was born in San Francisco, California. His first astronomical painting was done in 1905. After seeing Saturn through the 12-inch (300 mm) telescope at San Jose's Lick Observatory, he rushed home to paint what he had seen. The painting was destroyed in the fire that followed the 1906 earthquake. Between 1915 and 1918 he exhibited lithographs in the 4th and 7th annual exhibitions of the California Society of Etchers (now the California Society of Printmakers) in San Francisco.
Bonestell studied architecture at Columbia University in New York City. Dropping out in his third year, he worked as a renderer and designer for several of the leading architectural firms of the time. While with William van Alen, he and Warren Straton designed the art deco façade of the Chrysler Building as well as its distinctive eagles. During this same period, he designed the Plymouth Rock Memorial, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, the New York Central Building, Manhattan office and apartment buildings and several state capitols.
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