Cyrus Cuneo: Illustrations for adventure books

Cyrus Cincinato Cuneo was an Italian artist born in San Francisco in 1879, the son of John Cuneo — who had come to America via the Isthmus of Panama in 1852 — and his wife, Boston born Annie (nee Garaboldi). Two of his brothers also became artists..
Arriving in Paris in 1896, he enrolled at the Academie Colarossi under Whistler, by his second year becoming Whistler’s head student, and was one of forty students Whistler accepted to his new academy in the Passage Stanislas. Cuneo helped pay his way by giving boxing lessons and setting up an afternoon life drawing class with Edith Oenone Somerville.
After six years in Paris, Cuneo returned to America for six months before journeying to London.
Cuneo found work with the Illustrated London News. He illustrated H. Rider Haggard’s stories and numerous adventure novels on both sides of the Atlantic made his name and work familiar to a large public. After the outbreak of the First World War Cuneo transitioned to war artist work. His war paintings were widely seen.
Cuneo, who lived at 215 Uxbridge Road, Middlesex, died on 23 July 1916, aged 37.

1913

THE AIR PATROL

A STORY OF THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER

Frontispiece

Nurla Bai ascends

The Ambush at the rest-house

The attack in the gallery

A check in the pursuit

Reconnoitring in the aeroplane

Gur Buksh defends the mine

The Kalmucks make a prisoner

Lawrence drops a bomb

THE MOTOR SCOUT
A STORY OF ADVENTURE IN SOUTH AMERICA
by HERBERT STRANG
 1913

 Frontispiece
The Gobernador rides

Captured by brigands

Tim  leads a charge

Horsemen on the track

The hole in the floor

A check at the cave

1914

A HERO OF LIÉGE

A STORY OF THE GREAT WAR

Frontispiece
The spy unmasked

The peasants scattered out of its path

The end of the Zeppelin

Clearing the road