Newburgh and the Nation: The Art of John F. Gould

John F. Gould Introduction

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts on February 14, 1906, artist John F. Gould’s (1906-1996) life and career spanned nearly a century of change in American society and the arts. Over his lifetime, Gould saw the United States’ global standing rise as a leader in technological advancements, international diplomacy, and popular culture. He also participated in the development of popular art and literature in America.

He began his career in the 1930s, where he illustrated adventure and detective stories in pulp magazines such as Detective Action Stories, Battle Aces, and Cowboy Stories, before branching into illustrative work for The Saturday Evening Post in 1941, then as an advertising illustrator for General Electric by the end of the decade. Eventually he transitioned into a long career as a painter of transportation and regional subjects after establishing his studio, Bethlehem Art Gallery, in nearby Cornwall, New York in 1957. His work culminated in a series of paintings commemorating the bicentennial of George Washington’s arrival at Newburgh, and the last encampment of the Continental Army at New Windsor, New York.

Gould’s paintings of the Hudson River Valley, and Newburgh, document two centuries of change in our region, from the last encampment of George Washington’s Army at New Windsor in 1783, to the final ride of the Orange and Dutchess Ferry in 1963. These works have outlived the artist and appear on covers and in the pages of books of local history, as well as recognizable props in major Hollywood films. This exhibition tells the story of John F. Gould through his art, and through it, the story of Newburgh, and our Nation.

Photo of John F. Gould

Artist John F. Gould (1906-1996)