Heir to Norman Rockwell Pushes Color in TWA Advertisment

Fabled Illustrator Bob Peak, the heir to Norman Rockwell's American Illustration dominance, invents a new look for corporate identity. Prior to Peak, travel advertisements were straightforward and clear, designed to draw in prospects without confusing them. Peak had other ideas for a Trans World Airlines ad campaign, a double-page spread. He used sumptuous color and image montage to evoke a sense of the place rather than show clear-cut images of it. In Ad Lingo, they call it "sell the sizzle, not the steak." By focusing on the emotional benefits, experiences, and excitement of the place ( Rome ), Peak defines a new period in visual mass communications and, in doing so, elevates himself to the very pinnacle of American post-war illustrators. Today, we see many ultra-contemporary artists copy the hypercolor style that Peak invented. Contemporary museum curators either do not have a clue about this "borrowing" of another artist's style, or they just turn their heads away from it. Perhaps the credit for Peak's brilliant innovations will come soon. In the meantime, the present work, although preliminary, is a wonderful example of an artist at his very best.
Rome, Trans World Airlines advertisement study, 1963
Mixed media on board
25 x 39 inches (63.5 x 99.1 cm)
Signed center left: B. Peak
Two horizontal cracks in both right and left regions extending from upper to lower edge. Wear and markings to board in keeping with illustration and publishing process. UV examined.
Framed Dimensions 28 X 42 Inches