In Memoriam: Paul Calle - 1928-2010

The Mountain Man by Paul Calle

Artist Paul Calle (1928-2010), recognized world-wide for his realistic paintings of mountain men, trappers, and native American Indians has died. Over his illustrious career, Calle designed more than 40 United States postage stamps and issued more than 200 limited-edition works of his western/wildlife art. He was commissioned by NASA to create the commemorative stamp from the Apollo 11 moon landing.

On July 16, 1969, the day Apollo 11 was launched, Paul Calle was the only artist allowed to observe the astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, as they prepared for their historic mission. He captured their preparations from eating breakfast to putting on their spacesuits in pen-and-ink sketches which were later exhibited at The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Calle was a master of both oil painting and pencil drawing. Few contemporary artists have attained greater mastery of the pencil than Calle, who shared his skills in his book, "The Pencil" which has been translated into French, Chinese and Russian. Another book of his art, "Paul Calle: An Artist's Journey", was awarded the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award for Fine Arts in 1993.

In addition to major corporate and private collections, Calle's artwork is in the permanent collections of numerous prestigious institutions including The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The National Portrait Gallery, The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Gilcrease Museum. Calle also received the distinguished Nona Jean Hulsey Buyer’s Choice Award at the Prix de West Invitational, presented by the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center.

ArtUSA is proud to have had a long-standing friendship with Paul Calle. We will continue to offer his limited-edition prints on paper and canvas - many hand-signed by Paul Calle - to our collectors. To view his art on our website, click here: PAUL CALLE ART