(Washington, D.C., born 1937)

Inscribed "Dr. Hereward Lester Cooke-Nat'l Gallery of Art-2.16.73-Peer L. Stevens", patinated bronze on green marble base, 23-1/2 x 10 x 10-1/2 in.

Provenance: Estate of Gary L. Johnson, Virginia

Note: Cooke is primarily recognized for his contributions to art history rather than his painting, having authored several influential texts, including Painting Lessons from the Great Masters, published in 1967. From 1961 to 1973, Cooke served as the Curator of Painting at the National Gallery of Art, having previously worked as an aide and acting assistant director starting in 1956. One of his key responsibilities as curator was overseeing the Expert Opinions Section of the National Gallery, where art owners could have their works appraised or identified. Renowned as an authority on art fakes and forgeries, Cooke earned the nickname "Sherlock Holmes of the Art World" for his adeptness in solving art attribution mysteries.

In his role as curator, Cooke significantly impacted government-sponsored art programs, helping select artists for the Environmental Protection Agency's art initiative and serving as an art advisor to NASA for ten years. He organized the National Gallery's exhibition of NASA art in 1969. From his time as an art advisor for NASA, he wrote and released the book Eyewitness to Space in 1972. While his achievements in art history were widely recognized, he was also esteemed as an artist. Cooke was appointed director of the American pavilion at the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition, served as artist-in-residence at Princeton for four years, and received the prestigious Prix de Rome and a Fulbright fellowship. In 1940, he was awarded the American Beaux Arts Prize for murals." (Source: Bureau of Reclamation https://website-artlogicwebsite1450.artlogic.net/artists/33-hereward-lester-cooke/biography/).