Lot 87197: St. John, J. Allen - Tarzan and His Mate

J. ALLEN ST. JOHN (American, 1872-1957) Tarzan and His Mate, 1947 Oil on canvas 22.5 x 19 in. Signed lower left With the publication of Edgar Rice Burroughs' second Tarzan novel for McClurg, The Return of Tarzan, in 1915, J. Allen St. John's legendary association with this timeless hero set a new standard in heroic fantasy art and inspired all the Tarzan artists to come, including such noteworthy talents as Hal Foster, Burne Hogarth, Frank Frazetta, Roy Krenkel, and countless others. The vast majority of collectors consider St. John's rendition of the Lord of the Jungle to be definitive. Such magnificent oil paintings of Tarzan are virtually non-existent in the market, and the cachet of acquiring a first-rate St. John Tarzan painting cannot be overstated. This piece was created as a private commission for (and inscribed to) the then-President of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Club, Verne (Vernell) Coriell. This work was printed on page 101 of J. Allen St. John: An Illustrated Bibliography by Darrell Richardson, Mid-America Publishers, 1991, and it was also published as a limited edition print by Russ Cochran.