Chesley Knight Bonestell Jr. (1888 –1986) was an American painter, designer, and illustrator.
His paintings inspired the American space program, and they have been (and remain) influential in science fiction art and illustration.
Bonestell was born in San Francisco in 1888, and as a teenager survived the 1906 earthquake that leveled the city.
A pioneering creator of astronomical art, along with the French astronomer-artist Lucien Rudaux, Bonestell has been dubbed the “Father of Modern Space Art”.
His first astronomical painting was done in 1905. After seeing Saturn through the 12-inch (300 mm) telescope at San Jose’s Lick Observatory, he rushed home to paint what he had seen.
Bonestell created paintings depicting astronomical scenes and space flight explorations decades before the first manned missions.
His paintings electrified generations of space enthusiasts: aspiring writers, astronomers, physicists, artists, engineers, and others.
For his realistic portrayals of space exploration, the solar system, and the far off galaxies, Chesley Bonestell became known as the “Dean of Astronomical Artists.”
More of Chesley Bonestell’s fantastic art can be found at https://bonestell.org/.
Humoring the Goddess 