William Ward Beecher Biography
William Ward Beecher was a self-taught painter who did not discover his talent until living in England after World War II.  Upon returning to the States, he decided to pursue the life of an artist while supporting himself at various jobs.  His paintings developed partly in the fantasy and science fiction style that was popular at the time and of particular fascination to him.  The ability to render fine detail led him to develop his skill in the trompe-l'œil style.  Trompe-l'œil literally means "fool the eye".  The artist combined his interest in fantasy with his skill for details as evident in this poster commissioned by TWA.