Henry Casselli: Master of the American Watercolor (an exhibition catalogue)

New Orleans Museum of Art, 2000. First Edition. Hardcover. Like New/Very Good . 11x11x1. 2,500 copies of this book were published in conjunction with the exhibition organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art. A major retrospective of the art of Henry Casselli, containing full color reproductions of all 126 works in the exhibition; 255 pages. Henry Calvin Casselli Jr. (born October 25, 1946) is a contemporary American artist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He primarily paints watercolors of figures and settings from his native New Orleans. Casselli was awarded by the prestigious American Watercolor Society for his first submission. Over the next fifteen years, Casselli solidified his position as a master of the American watercolor, culminating in 1987 when he was awarded the Gold Medal of Honor by the American Watercolor Society, for the painting Echo. In 1988, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member, and became a full member in 1994.In addition to his work depicting the African Americans of New Orleans, Casselli has been commissioned for many portraits throughout his career. In 1980 and 1981, NASA commissioned him to serve as an official artist leading up to America's first Space Shuttle launch. Again, in 1998, NASA commissioned Casselli to portray John Glenn as he prepared for his historic final mission. Many of these works are part of the official collection of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.Casselli was also commissioned for the official portrait of President Ronald Reagan, which he completed in 1988. The piece now hangs in the Hall of Presidents at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.His 1981 portrait of Muhammad Ali (called Cat's Cradle) also hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.