{"product_id":"traffic-jam-by-earl-mayan","title":"Traffic Jam by Earl Mayan","description":"Earl Mayan\u003cbr\u003e 1916-2009 | American \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eTraffic Jam\u003cbr\u003e Saturday Evening Post\u003c\/em\u003e cover, April 28, 1956 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Signed \"Mayan\" (lower left)\u003cbr\u003e Oil on board \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Featured on the cover of the April 28, 1956 \u003cem\u003eSaturday Evening Post\u003c\/em\u003e, the comical illustration by American illustrator Earl Mayan chronicles a messy traffic jam. The traffic cop that is supposed to be operating the busy intersection’s stoplight is distracted by a group of young ladies nearby. He ignores his post, causing the gridlock and angering the motorists. American automobile culture reached its heyday in the 1950s. Here, the eye-catchingly colorful pile-up of cars echoes America’s growing love affair with this modern convenience, while Mayan’s humorous narrative highlights the inconveniences they sometimes bring. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With a career that spanned the era of pulp magazines to the post-WWII years, Earl Mayan's oeuvre presents a colorful snapshot of mid-20th century American life. Born in 1916, he learned his trade at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, joining the field of pulp illustration after his graduation in 1936. When America joined the Second World War, Mayan enlisted in the Army, serving overseas from 1941-1945. Upon his return, he earned a number of important commissions for the \u003cem\u003eSaturday Evening Post\u003c\/em\u003e, painting ten \u003cem\u003ePost\u003c\/em\u003e covers in all and illustrating many of the stories that appeared inside the magazine. Much like Norman Rockwell and other master American illustrators of his era, Mayan worked from real-life photographs to achieve remarkable detail and realism in his works. Today, a portrait of César Chávez by Mayan hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and his work is prized in important private collections worldwide. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Circa 1956 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Canvas: 34 5\/8\" high x 30 1\/8\" wide\u003cbr\u003e Frame: 42 3\/4\" high x 38 1\/4\" wide","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43672902303879,"sku":"31-4099","price":348500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/31-4099_1_d9e32ecf-8c57-458f-87a0-a473ee674d74.png?v=1767204750","url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/products\/traffic-jam-by-earl-mayan","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}