Collections Hunters:
Uncovering the Museum’s Art and Archival Collections

June 1, 2020 – Written By: Barbara Rundback

Though not well known to the public, Albert Dorne (1904-1965) was the highest paid illustrator of mid-twentieth century. He strongly supported the field of illustration by serving as the Society of Illustrators president and by co-founding the Code of Ethics and Fair Practices of the Profession of Commercial Art and Illustration. He mentored and helped other people achieve their dreams of becoming paid artists with the establishment of The Famous Artists School, a correspondence course for commercial art. Over the years, this savvy businessman earned the respect of his industry.

Discovered in The Famous Artists School Collection, these humorous portraits of Al Dorne were created by admiring peers. Dorne was a larger-than-life character, with his dark bushy eyebrows and ever-present cigar, which invited parody. Norman Rockwell, Ben Shahn, Al Parker, James Montgomery Flagg, and Eric (Carl Oscar August Erickson) have turned caricatures of the artist into a roundabout form of flattery. Caricature, from the Italian word caricare meaning, “to load” or “exaggerate,” gives weight to the most striking physical features of its subject for comic effect. The unique portraits define the essence of a person with a few deft strokes of the pen. Another find in the FAS Collection was a self-portrait by the charismatic illustrator himself.

To find out more about Albert Dorne, visit his profile on the Museum’s Illustration History website (IllustrationHistory.org).

Written By: Venus Van Ness

Artist Al Dorne began to draw when he was five years old, and by age ten, he was skipping school to spend days drawing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Although his formal education ended after the 7th grade, Dorne still managed to become one of the best known and sought after illustration artists of the 1930’s and 1940’s.  He was initially attracted to illustration work because it was published and reached millions of people through magazines and other advertising media.  Conversely, to see the work of a fine artist, you had to go inside a museum, which greatly limited the number of views by the public.

Despite the numerous demands on his time and energy during the peak of his career, Dorne was always willing to help young artists who came to him for advice. He encouraged and guided them, and put them in touch with art directors and editors. His interest in supporting aspiring artists led Dorne to create the Famous Artists School in 1947. As a self-taught illustrator who achieved great success, he knew first-hand what new illustration artists needed to learn to be successful. 

Many years after initially founding the school, Dorne was still passionate about sharing his knowledge saying that “I get enormous creative fulfillment out of teaching. I get wonderful feedback from our students. I think it’s a natural thing to want to teach. It’s human nature…I think most artists teach for the same reason I do. It makes you feel a little taller, having helped someone.”

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