The H.P. Lovecraft Art of John Holmes
The H.P. Lovecraft Art of John Holmes
H.P. Lovecraft’s work has always been fodder for chilling, creepy art, but has anyone done it better than John Holmes? (Not that John Holmes.)
John Holmes was a British artist and illustrator who is best known for his book covers — his most famous being the cover for Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch. In 1973, Ballantine Books published six volumes of Lovecraft featuring Holmes covers that even today are affecting. There’s a starkness to them that pulls them out of the ’70s; they’re really just timeless portraits of strangeness and human discomfort.
From the thousands of images he created, John Holmes, who died at age 76, was best known for the book cover he designed for Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch (1970). Surrealist and elegantly economical, his work over five decades ranged from dark horror to visual puns, illustrating popular culture, intellectual debates, politics and the human condition. Disturbing, provocative, witty or lyrical, his pictures are layered with meaning.
Born in Hackney, London, John grew up in Bethnal Green. A bright student, he attended the Coopers' Company school in Bow, did his national service in the RAF, then married Betty in 1956. During the early 1960s he worked as a porter at Smithfield market and at Bishopsgate station to support his young family, while painting at night. He touted his work around Soho, making his first sales to Le Macabre coffee bar for £5.
The Shuttered Room by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1973, 2nd).
The Tomb by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1973, 3rd).
The Lurking Fear by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1973, 3rd).
At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1974, 4th).
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, Volume 1 by H. P. Lovecraft and others (Ballantine, 1973, 2nd).
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, Volume 2 by H. P. Lovecraft and others (Ballantine, 1973, 2nd).
Holmes had a thing for faces, as can also be seen in his covers for the Book of Great Horror Stories series published by Fontana:
As well as this Vladimir Nabokov cover from 1969:
Unfortunately, Holmes’ output declined drastically during the ’80s due to illness. He died in 2011.
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The H.P. Lovecraft Art of John Holmes
The H.P. Lovecraft Art of John Holmes
H.P. Lovecraft’s work has always been fodder for chilling, creepy art, but has anyone done it better than John Holmes? (Not that John Holmes.)
John Holmes was a British artist and illustrator who is best known for his book covers — his most famous being the cover for Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch. In 1973, Ballantine Books published six volumes of Lovecraft featuring Holmes covers that even today are affecting. There’s a starkness to them that pulls them out of the ’70s; they’re really just timeless portraits of strangeness and human discomfort.
From the thousands of images he created, John Holmes, who died at age 76, was best known for the book cover he designed for Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch (1970). Surrealist and elegantly economical, his work over five decades ranged from dark horror to visual puns, illustrating popular culture, intellectual debates, politics and the human condition. Disturbing, provocative, witty or lyrical, his pictures are layered with meaning.
Born in Hackney, London, John grew up in Bethnal Green. A bright student, he attended the Coopers' Company school in Bow, did his national service in the RAF, then married Betty in 1956. During the early 1960s he worked as a porter at Smithfield market and at Bishopsgate station to support his young family, while painting at night. He touted his work around Soho, making his first sales to Le Macabre coffee bar for £5.
The Shuttered Room by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1973, 2nd).
The Tomb by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1973, 3rd).
The Lurking Fear by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1973, 3rd).
At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1974, 4th).
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, Volume 1 by H. P. Lovecraft and others (Ballantine, 1973, 2nd).
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, Volume 2 by H. P. Lovecraft and others (Ballantine, 1973, 2nd).
Holmes had a thing for faces, as can also be seen in his covers for the Book of Great Horror Stories series published by Fontana:
As well as this Vladimir Nabokov cover from 1969:
Unfortunately, Holmes’ output declined drastically during the ’80s due to illness. He died in 2011.
The Definitive brand in fantasy, science fiction, and horror.
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Browse by tag
The H.P. Lovecraft Art of John Holmes
H.P. Lovecraft’s work has always been fodder for chilling, creepy art, but has anyone done it better than John Holmes? (Not that John Holmes.)
John Holmes was a British artist and illustrator who is best known for his book covers — his most famous being the cover for Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch. In 1973, Ballantine Books published six volumes of Lovecraft featuring Holmes covers that even today are affecting. There’s a starkness to them that pulls them out of the ’70s; they’re really just timeless portraits of strangeness and human discomfort.
From the thousands of images he created, John Holmes, who died at age 76, was best known for the book cover he designed for Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch (1970). Surrealist and elegantly economical, his work over five decades ranged from dark horror to visual puns, illustrating popular culture, intellectual debates, politics and the human condition. Disturbing, provocative, witty or lyrical, his pictures are layered with meaning.
Born in Hackney, London, John grew up in Bethnal Green. A bright student, he attended the Coopers' Company school in Bow, did his national service in the RAF, then married Betty in 1956. During the early 1960s he worked as a porter at Smithfield market and at Bishopsgate station to support his young family, while painting at night. He touted his work around Soho, making his first sales to Le Macabre coffee bar for £5.
The Shuttered Room by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1973, 2nd).
The Tomb by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1973, 3rd).
The Lurking Fear by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1973, 3rd).
At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft (Ballantine, 1974, 4th).
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, Volume 1 by H. P. Lovecraft and others (Ballantine, 1973, 2nd).
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, Volume 2 by H. P. Lovecraft and others (Ballantine, 1973, 2nd).
Holmes had a thing for faces, as can also be seen in his covers for the Book of Great Horror Stories series published by Fontana:
As well as this Vladimir Nabokov cover from 1969:
Unfortunately, Holmes’ output declined drastically during the ’80s due to illness. He died in 2011.
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