Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an

illustration An illustration is a decoration, interpretation or visual explanation of a text, concept or process, designed for integration in print and digital published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vid ...

photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...

on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket),

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

, newspaper (

tabloid Tabloid may refer to: * Tabloid journalism, a type of journalism * Tabloid (newspaper format), a newspaper with compact page size ** Chinese tabloid * Tabloid (paper size), a North American paper size * Sopwith Tabloid, a biplane aircraft * ''Ta ...

), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album art), CD, videotape, DVD, or podcast. The art has a primarily commercial function, for instance to promote the product it is displayed on, but can also have an aesthetic function, and may be artistically connected to the product, such as with art by the creator of the product.

Album cover art

Album cover An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to either the printed paperboard covers typically used to package sets of and 78-r ...

art is artwork created for a music album. Notable album cover art includes

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

's '' The Dark Side of the Moon, King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King,'' the Beatles' ''

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the roles of sound composi ...

'', '' Abbey Road'' and their self-titled "White Album" among others. Albums can have cover art created by the musician, as with

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

's ''

Clouds In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may com ...

'', or by an associated musician, such as Bob Dylan's artwork for the cover of '' Music from Big Pink'', by the Band, Dylan's backup band's first album. Artists known for their album cover art include Alex Steinweiss, an early pioneer in album cover art, Roger Dean, and the Hipgnosis studio. Some album art may cause controversy because of nudity, offending churches, trademark or others.Heller, Steven
"Alex Steinweiss, Originator of Artistic Album Covers, Dies at 94,"
New York Times, July 19, 2011 There have been numerous books documenting album cover art, particularly rock and jazz album covers. Steinweiss was an art director and graphic designer who brought custom artwork to record album covers and invented the first packaging for long-playing records.

Book cover

A book cover is usually made up of images (illustrations, photographs, or a combination of both) and text. It usually includes the book title and author and can also include (but not always) a book tagline or quote. The book cover design is usually designed by a graphic designer or book designer, working in-house at a publisher or freelance. Once the front cover art has been approved, they will then continue to design the layout of the spine (including the book title, author name and publisher imprint logo) and the back cover (usually including a book blurb and sometimes the barcode and publisher logo). Books can be designed as a set of series or as an individual design. Very commonly the same book will be designed with a different cover in different countries to suit the specific audience. For example, a cover designed for Australia may have a completely different design in the UK and again in the USA. Book cover art has had books written on the subject. Numerous artists have become noted for their book cover art, including

Richard M. Powers Richard M. Powers (February 24, 1921 – March 9, 1996) was an American science fiction and fantasy fiction illustrator. He was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 2016. Li ...

and Chip Kidd. In one of the most recognizable book covers in American literature, two sad female eyes (and bright red lips) adrift in the deep blue of a night sky, hover ominously above a skyline that glows like a carnival. Evocative of sorrow and excess, the haunting image has become so inextricably linked to '' The Great Gatsby'' that it still adorns the cover of F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece 88 years after its debut. The iconic cover art was created by Spanish artist Francis Cugat. With the release of a big Hollywood movie, however, some printings of the book have abandoned the classic cover in favor of one that ties in more closely with the film.

Magazine cover

Magazine cover artists include Art Spiegelman, who modernized the look of '' The New Yorker'' magazine, and his predecessor Rea Irvin, who created the

Eustace Tilly ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...

iconic character for the magazine. Magazine cover artists who were well-known for capturing important political and social issues of the day include Norman Rockwell, whose work appeared 322 times on the cover of the

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...

, and Dennis Wheeler, whose 40 covers for Time magazine illustrated social movements and news events of the 1960s and 1970s; Seven of them are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Tabloid cover

Today the word tabloid is used as a derogatory descriptor of a style of journalism, rather than its original intent as an indicator of half-broadsheet size.This tends to cloud the fact that the great tabloids were skilfully produced amalgams of intriguing human interest stories told with punchy brevity, a clarity drawn from the choice of simple but effective words and often with a healthy dose of wit.Day, Mark. (2008, August 21). “For a brighter future, tabloids could look to the past.” The Australian, p. 38. The gossipy tabloid scandal sheets, as we know them today, have been around since 1830. That's when Benjamin Day and

James Gordon Bennett Sr. James Gordon Bennett Sr. (September 1, 1795 – June 1, 1872) was the founder, editor and publisher of the ''New York Herald'' and a major figure in the history of American newspapers. Early life Bennett was born to a prosperous Roman Catholic ...

, the respective publishers of ''The New York Sun'' and ''The New York Herald'', launched what became known as the Penny Press (whose papers sold for one cent apiece).McLaren, Leah. (2001, August 11). “Admit it: Tabloid culture is what we are” The Globe and Mail, p. L3. But some of the world's best journalism has been tabloid.Wynne-Jones, Ros. (2011, July 28). “They've still got news for us.” Independent Extra, p. 2. From the days when John Pilger revealed the cold truth of Cambodia's Killing Fields in the Daily Mirror, to the stream of revelations that showed the hypocrisy of John Major's "back to basics" cabinet, award-winning writing in the tabloids is acknowledged every year at the National Press Awards. Good cover art can lead readers to this fact; the New York Herald, for example, offers some fine examples of tabloid cover art. So too does the News & Review, a free weekly published in Reno, Nevada, Chico, California and Sacramento, California. The tabloid has thrived since the 1970s, and even uses cartoonish cover art. Tabloids have a modern role to play, and along with good cover art (and new ideas) they fill a niche.Berlin, Jess S. (2006, November 8). “Cyber tabloid will cover all the news that's virtually true.” The Guardian, p. 20.

Popular music scores (early 20th century)

Sheet music cover artists include Frederick S. Manning,

William Austin Starmer The brothers William Austin Starmer and Frederick Waite Starmer were noted sheet music cover artists born in Leeds. "Starmer" is a household name to collectors of sheet music and appears on innumerable covers dating from the early 1900s to the 1 ...

Frederick Waite Starmer The brothers William Austin Starmer and Frederick Waite Starmer were noted sheet music cover artists born in Leeds. "Starmer" is a household name to collectors of sheet music and appears on innumerable covers dating from the early 1900s to the 1 ...

, all three of whom worked for

Jerome H. Remick Jerome Hosmer Remick (15 November 1867 – 15 July 1931) was an American music publisher, businessman and philanthropist in Detroit, Michigan. Life and career Remick was born in Detroit as the son of James Albert Remick and Mary Amelia Hosmer. ...

. Other prolific artists included Albert Wilfred Barbelle, Andréa Stephen Chevalier de Takacs (1880–1919), and

Gene Buck Edward Eugene Buck (August 7, 1885 – February 24, 1957) was an American illustrator of sheet music, musical theater lyricist, and president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Early career Buck was born in De ...

. E. H. Pfeiffer ''(né'' Edward Henry Pfeiffer; 1868–1932) did cover illustrations for

Gotham-Attucks The Gotham-Attucks Music Publishing Company ("The House of Melody") was an African-American owned firm based in Manhattan, New York, that was formed July 15, 1905, by merger of the Gotham Music Company and the Attucks Music Publishing Company. The ...

, F.B. Haviland Pub. Co., Jerome & Schwartz Publishing Company, Lew Berk Music Company, Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, Inc., and others.

Gallery

Books

File:Ivory book cover MS Douce 176.jpg, Ivory book cover with scenes from the life of Christ circa 800 AD File:Title design of A song of the English (1909).png, Kipling's ''A song of the English'' (poem), illustrated by William Heath Robinson (1872–1944), 1909 File:Mitrohin for Zamiatin's Uezdnoe.jpg, ''Uezdnoe'', by Yevgeny Zamyatin, 1916 File:RealMotherGoose.jpg, ''The Real Mother Goose,''

Blanche Fisher Wright Blanche Fisher Wright Laite (1887 – 1971) was an American children's book illustrator active in the 1910s. She is best known for illustrating '' The Real Mother Goose'', published in 1916 by Rand McNally Rand McNally is an American technolo ...

, illustrator, 1916 File:The Great Gatsby Cover 1925 Retouched.jpg, The Great Gatsby, Francis Cugat ,1925

Newspapers, magazines, comic books

File:OlympicClubTimesDemocratHeadline.JPG,

Gentleman Jim Corbett James John "Jim" Corbett (September 1, 1866 – February 18, 1933) was an American professional boxer and a World Heavyweight Champion, best known as the only man who ever defeated the great John L. Sullivan (hence the " man who beat the man" c ...

and John L. Sullivan at the

Olympic Club The Olympic Club is an sports club, athletic club and private social club in San Francisco, San Francisco, California. First named the "San Francisco Olympic Club", it is the oldest sports club, athletic club in the United States. Established o ...

, New Orleans, '' The Times-Democrat,'' September 8, 1892 File:Billboard02 10thAnniv.jpg, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

's'' tenth anniversary edition, 1904 File:Vanity Fair June 1914.jpg, '' Vanity Fair,'' June 1914 File:Vanity Fair cover by Ethel Caroline Rundquist 1916.jpg, Skater with scarf, illustrated by Ethel Caroline Rundquist, '' Vanity Fair,'' January 1916 File:Silver_Sheet_January_01_1923_-_BELL_BOY_13.pdf, ''

The Silver Sheet Thomas Harper Ince (November 16, 1880 – November 19, 1924) was an American silent film - era filmmaker and media proprietor. Ince was known as the "Father of the Western" and was responsible for making over 800 films. He revolutionized the mo ...

,'' a studio publication promoting Thomas Ince Productions ''

Bell Boy 13 ''Bell Boy 13'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter, and starring Douglas MacLean, John Steppling, Margaret Loomis, William Courtright, Emily Gerdes, and Eugene Burr. The film was released by First National Pict ...

,'' E. H. Pfeiffer, illustrator, January 1923 File:The Spider April 1934.jpg, Pulp magazine '' Spider,'' Vol. 2, , April 1934 File:AmazingMan22.jpg, Amazing Man Comics, illustrated by Paul Gustavson, 22, May 1941 File:LIFE 06191944 Eisenhower cover.jpg, '' LIFE'' magazine, official U.S. Army photo, June 19, 1944 File:MisterMystery12.png, ''Mister Mystery'' #1, Key Publications, July–August 1953 File:Horisont 1 1967 kaas.jpg, The first ''Horisont'' magazine in Estonia, 1967

Sheet music, recorded music

File:Bon Bon Buddy cover.jpg, Sheet music for the Broadway musical, ''

Bandanna Land ''Bandanna Land'' (also known as ''In Bandanna Land'') is a musical from 1908. The book was written by Jesse A. Shipp, lyrics by Alex Rogers ''(aka'' Alec) Rogers ''(né'' Alexander Claude Rogers; 1876–1930), and music composed primarily by ...

,'' Andréa Stephen Chevalier de Takacs, illustrator,

, publisher, 1908 File:My Favorite Rag by James White - cover by Grim Natwick.jpg, "My Favorite Rag," by James White, illustration by Grim Natwick (one of his earliest published works), 1915 File:TheBeatles68LP.jpg, Cover for The Beatles' White Album, 1968 File:Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin US promotional single.png, Cover for Led Zeppelin's promotional single "

Stairway to Heaven "Stairway to Heaven" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by the band's guitarist Jimmy Page and lead singer Robert Plant for their untitled fourth studio album (often titled ''Led Zeppelin IV'') ...

", 1971 File:Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure.jpeg, Cover for Queen and David Bowie's single " Under Pressure", 1981 File:Three of a Perfect Pair.jpg, Cover for King Crimson's album '' Three of a Perfect Pair,'' 1984 File:Beyoncé - Beyoncé.svg, Cover for

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

's eponymous album, 2013 File:"1-800-273-8255" cover by Logic.jpg, Cover for Logic's single " 1-800-273-8255" featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid, 2017 File:Deltarune Chapter 1 Soundtrack.jpg, Cover for Toby Fox's soundtrack to the first chapter of '' Deltarune'', 2018

References

{{reflist, 30em, refs= "{{URL, http://ragpiano.com/artists/detakacs.shtml, André De Takacs" by Bill Edwards ''(né'' William G. Motley; born 1959), ''{{URL, http://ragpiano.com'' Website administrator: Bill Edwards (no date); Contributors: Andrea Ellis and Keith Emmons (retrieved February 21, 2020) "{{URL, http://ragpiano.com/artists/pfeiffer.shtml, Edward H. Pfeiffer" by Bill Edwards ''(né'' William G. Motley; born 1959), ''{{URL, http://ragpiano.com'' Website administrator: Bill Edwards (no date) Illustration Graphic design Comics terminology Works by cover artist Covers by artist