Gerard Curtis Delano
1890-1972
Jerry Delano, as he liked to be called, was a native of Marion, Massachusetts. He was a descendant of the French Huguenot pilgrim, Philippe de Lannoy, who landed at Plymouth in 1621. At an early age his talents and instincts were apparent to his parents, and they enthusiastically encouraged his interest in drawing and painting. In addition to extensive education in art schools, Delano studied under notable artists as Vincent Drummond, George Bridgeman, N. C. Wyeth and Harvey Dunn.
After serving his country in the Navy during World War I, Delano made the decision to travel west and, in 1921, homesteaded in the Rocky Mountains on Cataract Creek in Colorado. A log cabin served as both a home and studio for him. In Colorado, the snows, which always seemed to come early and stay late, were a magnificent inspiration for a person who loved to paint the wilderness as Jerry did.
In the mid-twenties, Delano returned to New York and for many years worked in his studio on East 57th Street. His illustrations appeared on the covers of magazines such as Colliers, Cosmopolitan and Western Stories, and his paintings were used by many calendar companies. One of the most important of these was the Indian series which he did for the Santa Fe Railway.
In the late thirties, Delano contracted with Street and Smith to do a series of drawings and stories under the title Story of the West. The entire series, which included 104 drawings with text, ran for two years, ending in 1940. This seemed to mark the turning point in Delano's career; at last he was free to start painting the West as he had wanted to do for so long.
Delano's fame as a Native American painter spread, and he was invited to submit his paintings to the editor of the Denver Post. His painting, In Canyon del Muerto, appeared on the cover of the May 11, 1947 issue.
Delano's keen eye, his understanding, his ability to place on canvas the color, and appreciation for the nobility of the Navajo lifestyle resulted in a personal style that is original and imaginative. He called his paintings “designed Realism.” His authentic and sympathetic portrayal of the beauty and dignity of the Navajo people is unsurpassed. Delano painted prolifically for 50 years, until he died at the age of 81 in 1972.
Actively seeking works by Gerard Curtis Delano.
