About Gil Cohen

Gil Cohen - Gil Cohen is an “old master” among the world’s military and aviation artists. Gil’s passion for military history began as a youngster, during the Second World War when Gil would study the military aircraft that flew over the Philadelphia area where he was born and raised. Gil originally studied under renowned illustrator and author, Henry C. Pitz and World War II combat artist, Albert Gold and graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Art in 1953. Prior to beginning his professional art career, Gil spent two years in the army. During that time, he was stationed outside of Frankfurt, West Germany as an artist with the 513th Military Intelligence Group, US Army Europe, during the height of the Cold War.

After his military service, Gil built a career as a freelance illustrator and painter of historical subjects. Clients during this 50 year span of time have included: The National Park Service, Paramount Pictures, Bantam books, Harlequin Books, Random House, The U.S. Coast Guard, The National Guard, and Boeing & Sikorsky Aircraft Companies.

Years later he would produce a stunning series of paintings depicting scenes of Eighth Air Force activities during World War II. A one-man show of this work was exhibited at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum in Savannah, Georgia and his paintings have since been exhibited at The National Parks Civil War battlefields, The Royal Air Force Museum in London, and The U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton.

Gil has served as Vice-President of the American Society of Aviation Artists ( ASAA ) and is the recipient of the “Best of the Best” award sponsored by Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine. The US Air Force and National Guard have flown Gil to such places as war-torn Bosnia, Somalia, Central Asia and Israel to do paintings of American servicemen and women in action.