Fadeaway ― The Remarkable Imagery of Coles Phillips

More than 80 color plates spotlight the artistry of Cole Phillips (1880–1927), an American watercolorist and draftsman of remarkable skill. Known for blending aspects of foreground figures seamlessly into the background — a style dubbed "The Fadeaway" — Philips won wide recognition with covers and advertisements for Good Housekeeping, Life, The Saturday Evening Post, and other mainstream magazines. This original compilation features illustrations from two early collections, A Gallery of Girls and A Young Man's Fancy, plus images from other sources.

Coles Phillips (1880–1927) was among the most in-demand illustrators in his field during the 1910s and 20s. A dynamic and highly skilled watercolor artist and draftsman, Coles did dozens of covers for mainstream American magazines. In 1908 he created a style in which the figure in the foreground blended seamlessly into the background, rendering some amount of the clothing invisible, save for the edges. Dubbed "The Fadeaway," the eye-catching technique became a huge hit and was employed to great effect by the artist for the rest of his career.