For John Atherton there was no line drawn between "fine" and "commercial" art. He painted pictures for advertisers, magazine covers, and galleries alike. All were characterized by his strong sense of design and color.

Atherton was born in Brainerd, Minnesota, studied at the College of the Pacific, and the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco. He first worked in a number of West-Coast art studios learning the basics of his craft. When he won a $500 first prize award in the annual exhibit of the Bohemian Club in 1929, it financed his move to New York.

There, he began to do illustrations for advertisers, including General Motors, Container Corporation of America, and Shell Oil, and covers fo...