Rico Tomaso

A pianist and an artist, Tomaso studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. He later met the renowned illustrator, Dean Cornwell, who also shared an interest in music with Tomaso. Cornwell encouraged Tomaso to go to New York, where he met Robert Henri, the founder of The Eight Group. Henri later became Tomaso's close friend and advisor. Tomaso regularly contributed illustrations to the "Saturday Evening Post", "Redbook", "Good Housekeeping", and "Ladies' Home Journal". He is also known for a series of vigorous, full-color, portrait illustrations for Granger Pipe Tobacco.

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Rico Tomaso (1898 in Chicago, Illinois – 1985 in New York, New York) was an illustrator and painter. His works were featured in magazines, novels, and sold as paintings and lithograph prints.

In his youth, Tomaso played the piano for a dance orchestra in which he met drummer Dean Cornwell, who also became a famous illustrator and an influence on Tomaso's own style. Illustration historian Walt Reed wrote that Tomaso's "work mostly resembled Cornwell's in concept and broad brush style."[1]

John T. McCutcheon, a family friend and cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune, encouraged Tomaso's artistic talent. Tomaso studied at the Art Institute of Chicago with J. Wellington Reynolds. He also studied at the Art Students League of New York with teachers including Dean Cornwell, Robert Henri and Harvey Dunn. As an illustrator in New York, Tomaso worked for clients such as Granger Pipe Tobacco and frequently contributed to such periodicals as the Ladies' Home Journal[2] and The Saturday Evening Post. He was at his best illustrating tales of high adventure, including the Albert Richard Wetjen stories about the Mounted Police of South Australia, or mysteries, such as Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novel The League of Frightened Men. As a fine artist he was represented by the Grand Central Art Galleries and by Jean Bohne, Inc., in New York.[1]

Tomaso taught at the Grand Central School of Art, taking the classes of Harvey Dunn when the class was moved to Mamaroneck, New York.

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eed, Walt The Illustrator in America, 1860–2000. New York: Watson Guptill Publications, 2001, ISBN 0-8230-2523-3 page 253

Jump up ^ Joseph C. Lincoln, Rico Tomaso (illust.) "The Shale-Bastable Boots" - Ladies' Home Journal vol. LII (11): 23, 76–86 Nov 1935 Philadelphia: Curtis Publishing 9