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Henry Koerner Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: MRC
Date: 27 Mar 2010

Biographical History

Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was an Austrian-born American painter and illustrator, considered a master of "magical realism." He designed war posters for the American Office of War Information and the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, and his portraits of celebrities appeared on the cover of TIME magazine more than 25 times between 1955 and 1967.

Koerner was born in 1915 to Jewish parents and was raised in Vienna, studying the rich artistic culture of the city and old masters such as Pieter Bruegel and Hieronymus Bosch. Vienna continued to be a source of inspiration for Koerner throughout his life. He studied at Vienna's Training and Research Institute of Graphic Art and then worked as a graphic artist, but was forced to flee after the German annexation of Austria in 1938. He emigrated to Brooklyn and found work as a commercial artist.

In the early 1940s Koerner shifted from graphic arts to painting. In 1943 he joined the army and was sent to Europe to sketch the Nuremberg trials and document the destruction of the war in Berlin. This inspired his first series of surreal paintings, done from 1946-1947, which established his reputation. He linked the series, characterized by surreal distortions and references to the war and his family, with an illustrated novella titled "The Unfinished Sentence," which tells the story of his exile through war-torn Europe.

By the time Koerner returned to the US in 1948 he was considered one of the leading postwar American artists of his time. His Berlin series was exhibited in his first solo American show at the Midtown Galleries, a gallery which continued to represent him until the mid-1960s. His style developed and evolved over the next few years, moving from magic realism to surrealism to the impressionistic style of Cezanne. Koerner also painted more than 50 TIME magazine covers between 1955 and 1967, including portraits of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Henry Koerner Papers consists of artwork, correspondence, exhibition material, memorabilia, and writings.

Artwork consists mostly of reproductions (books, TIME magazine covers, etc.) and a few original sketches.

Correspondence, which makes up the bulk of the collection, consists of letters to Koerner from a wide variety of correspondants including TIME magazine, art galleries, admirers and close friends, as well as several drafts of outgoing letters.

Exhibition materials contains programs, invitations, flyers, and posters for exhibitions featuring Koerner's work.

Memorabilia includes an award certificate for Koerner, an edition of the college art journal, photographs, reviews, event materials, newspaper and magazine clippings about Koerner, and other miscellaneous material.

Writings consists of Koerner's notes and drafts, on topics such as his work, his techniques, his philosophy about being an artist, etc.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is arranged alphabetically.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Koerner, Henry, 1915-1991.

Corporate Bodies

Time Warner, Inc.

Subjects

Art, American.
Art, Modern -- 20th century.
Artists -- United States.
Illustrators -- United States.
Painters -- United States.
Portrait-painters -- United States.

Genres and Forms

Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Invitations.
Manuscripts for publication
Photographs.
Posters.
Programs (documents)
Sketches.

Occupations

Painters.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Henry Koerner Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Unspecified, 1965.

Table of Contents

Artwork

Correspondence

Exhibition materials

Memorabilia

Writings

Inventory