SVA Archives

James McMullan Collection. Cover illustration for New York Magazine, June 7, 1976

April 04, 2016

First Look, part 2: James McMullan

We recently received a treasure trove of new material from James McMullan – 93 posters and prints, 220 sketches and pieces of original art, plus album covers, book jackets, magazines and books spanning his entire career. Among the additions are many of his renown Lincoln Center Theater posters and gorgeous original watercolor illustrations for magazines, album covers and posters. Above is the exceedingly hard to find 1976 issue of New York Magazine featuring Nik Cohn’s article and James McMullan’s illustrations, which served as the inspiration for “Saturday Night Fever.”

Below, just a taste of what’s available-

Painting of an adult lady leaned towards a chair where a man sits.

Lincoln Center Theater. Six Degrees of Separation poster, 1992

Watercolor illustration of a man posed with one foot on a yellow chair.

Lincoln Center Theater. Old Money poster, 2000

Watercolor poster of a baseball pitcher in a swinging position. Baseball bat trails into a coming-of-age sequence of a boy playing baseball.

School of Visual Arts. Original watercolor for subway poster, 1977

Pink cover with a circular view of legs in a bathtub, a grey parrot on the leg's knees and a rubber duck in the water.

CBS Records. Original art for Lake album cover, pen and ink, colored inks, watercolor, 1979

A November calendar illustration of a bison platformed on a large letter "N".

Scholastic Let’s Find Out. Original watercolor for November calendar, 1976

A painting of a sitting man with both hands resting against right knee.

“Armando 5/2/06,” gouache

Push Pin Graphic No. 47 (“Notorious Subjects as Children”), 1965

Though the new additions are not yet incorporated into the McMullan Collection guide , a complete inventory exists, just contact the Archives for more information.