Arthur Rosenman Ross (1913 – 1981)
Art Deco Movie Set, Probably MGM Studios
17 x 27 inches
Gouache on illustration Board
Signed Art Ross, ‘37 lower right

Provenance: Estate of the artist.

Arthur Rosenman Ross was a key figure in automotive design at General Motors during America’s “Golden Age” of auto design, the 1930’s through the 1950s.

He attended the Art Institute of Chicago from age 17, exhibiting a special interest for automotive renderings and the female figure.

In 1934, he changed his name from Rosenman to Ross, fearing his Jewish ancestry could prejudice his career prospects. At age 20, he turned down job offers from MGM Studios in Hollywood
and Duesenberg to work at General Motors alongside the Legendary Harley Earl in 1935.

He was hand picked by Mr. Earl and assigned to GM’s War and Camouflage Division in 1937 through WW2.

It was during this pivotal period in which he executed some extraordinary military aircraft artworks, likely used between GM and America’s military aeronautics companies in design preparation for WW2. General Motors played an important role in helping America’s aircraft manufacturers preceding and during the war.

Just after the war in 1945, Mr. Ross was rewarded by GM, being made Chief Designer of Cadillac, then two years later becoming Chief at Oldsmobile until his retirement in 1959.

He was in large part responsible for some of GM’s classic Cadillac designs such as the Cadillac Sixty Special, Fleetwood, LaSalle and GM’s first concept car, the extraordinary Buick Y-Job.

Mr. Ross was an exceptionally charismatic and vivacious man who quite by chance, befriended His idol, Salvador Dali at GM in 1955.

They talked about art, cars and girls late into the evening, according to his son, Carter Ross.

He had a gift in rendering the erotic arts as well, much to the pleasure of many a GM executive who cloistered these gifts by the artist away, from their wives and girlfriends.

His highly futuristic cutting edge Art Deco artworks are notably extraordinary both in their execution and prescience.

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