William McNulty was an American painter, illustrator, etcher, woodcutter, and art instructor. When he was two years old, the family moved to Montana, where he grew up. When his father committed suicide, he was only 14 years old. McNulty then lived with his grandparents in Nebraska, where he began drawing for local newspapers. He worked in New York City and Rockport, Massachusetts. McNulty studied at the Art Students League for three years, where he also taught illustration and composition from 1931-58. In New York, he also became interested in printmaking. In the 1930s, he was influenced by social realism. He worked as an illustrator for local daily papers and magazines before that. He was also a successful editorial cartoonist for the Seattle Star under the pseudonym “Von A.”. He retired in 1958 and died 5 years later from heart disease. Shortening Sail, one of McNulty’s five entries in 1932, was an etching sized 23 x 33 cm (sheet 37 x 47 cm).
United States