The Borisography: A

Aaron Owens (BJ)
Aaron Owens, Boris & Julie Dland.181 One of several artworks promoting Mountain Dew and the And1 Mixtape Tour of 2006. I originally thought they were for a card game but upon further consideration I think they were featured on card coasters (what we, in UK, call beermats (dripmats in other parts of the world?)) I only know of four paintings for this set but it is conceivable that Boris and Julie painted others too.

This particular portrait is of AO (all the cards use the players' nicknames) whose real name is Aaron Owens. The alternative title The Admiral is presumably based on the jacket being worn by him but I do not know whether this is of any relevance.

Mountain Dew is one of PepsiCo's brand names, hence the title Pepsi Cola 1 when it was originally published on the old Imaginistix website.

All the paintings are unsigned but the cards were published in early/mid 2006 so it could date to that, or the preceding, year.

Abgal (1990)
Abgal, Boris Vallejo B2.34
BoB.71
1991-Apr
Painted for the 1991 Mythology Calendar.

Abgal is a sea god - but the particular myth cycle is not identified. I would guess Norse from the sound of the name.

Abim's World (1995)
At the End of the Day, Boris Vallejo CIS.7
1999-Apr
This piece was done specifically for the Comic Images Supreme card set where it is titled At the End of the Day.

The calendar version is laterally reversed compared to the trading card. As can be seen from the signature, the trading card is the correct way round so that has been used for the illustration here.

Acceptance (1994)
Acceptance, Boris Vallejo BJ.30
1995-Jan
Painted for the 1995 Fantasy Calendar.
Ace of Wands (2009)
Ace of Wands, Boris Vallejo Tarot This painting for Heavy Metal's Tarot series was published in the edition of May 2009.
Achilles' Choice (1990)
Achilles' Choice, Boris Vallejo B1.08
CD1
Cover for the novel Achilles' Choice (Tor Books, 1991) by Larry Niven & Steven Barnes. The dragon is a bit of artistic licence by Boris - there are no dragons featured in the book.

The book also has 14 pen and ink illustrations by Boris – go to the Achilles' Choice book page to see them.

Across the Heavens (1993)
Berserker Kill, Boris Vallejo B4.38 Cover art for Berserker Kill by Fred Saberhagen (Tor Books, 1993.)
Action Figures (1995)
Action Figures, Boris Vallejo Cover for the inaugural edition of Penthouse Men's Adventure Comix dated April/May 1995.

The title is derived from a series of the same name in the magazine. The painting illustrates a scene from that first episode.

The cover features a mirror image of this painting (though the signature is still the right way round) but inside the magazine there is a full page, correctly orientated, copy of the painting. I say it is correctly orientated on the basis that it is the same way round as Boris' preliminary sketch.

Adarbal (1993)
Adarbal, Boris Vallejo B4.58
1994-Centre
Painted for the 1994 Mythology Calendar.

This is a chilean mythological figure who stood at a crevice near the Patagonian Mountains waiting for demons to burst forth from the underworld. He destroyed all but one, which escaped back into the underworld, and to which earthquakes are attributed.

The Admiral (BJ)
Aaron Owens, Boris & Julie Dland.181 One of several artworks promoting Mountain Dew and the And1 Mixtape Tour of 2006. I originally thought they were for a card game but upon further consideration I think they were featured on card coasters (what we, in UK, call beermats (dripmats in other parts of the world?)) I only know of four paintings for this set but it is conceivable that Boris and Julie painted others too.

This particular portrait is of AO (all the cards use the players' nicknames) whose real name is Aaron Owens. The alternative title The Admiral is presumably based on the jacket being worn by him but I do not know whether this is of any relevance.

Mountain Dew is one of PepsiCo's brand names, hence the title Pepsi Cola 1 when it was originally published on the old Imaginistix website.

All the paintings are unsigned but the cards were published in early/mid 2006 so it could date to that, or the preceding, year.

Adventurer (1980)
Forces from the Federation, Boris Vallejo FAT 99 Book cover for Ace books: Flash Gordon 4: Forces from the Federation, by David Hagberg.
Aesculapius (2020)
Asclepius, Boris Vallejo 2020-Mar Originally posted on Julie Bell's Instagram and Boris' & Julie's FaceBook accounts this is a portrait of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and doctors. His distinctive staff with entwined serpent is used as the symbol of Medicine. This is different to the Caduceus which has a winged staff and two serpents and is the symbol of the god Hermes.
Aftermath
The Angry Ghost, Boris Vallejo CD2 Cover art for The Angry Ghost by Kenneth Robeson (Bantam Books, 1977) book #86 in the Doc Savage series.
Against the Odds (1984)
Conan the Triumphant, Boris Vallejo B1.49
BoB.51
BJ.38 (sketch)
CD1
FPG.34
Portfolio 17
1986-Jan
Book cover for the paperback edition of Conan the Triumphant by Robert Jordan (Tor Books, 1985.)
Against the Prince of Hell (1982)
Against the Prince of Hell, Boris Vallejo B1.24
BoB.48
CD1
WOB.17
Cover for Red Sonja #5: Against the Prince of Hell by David C Smith & Richard L Tierney(Ace Books, 1983.)
Agent Double Oh Ten (2008) (BJ)
Back to Atlantis, Boris & Julie Dland.056 I have no information about this painting. My inital reaction was that it might be to do with the BioShock game but the date doesn't fit in with any of the releases. If pressed, I would say that this was a magazine/book illustration.
Agent of Vega (1982)
Agent of Vega, Boris Vallejo B2.41
CD1
Painted as cover for the 1982 edition of Agent of Vega by James H Schmitz (Ace Books.)
Ahead and Beyond (2002)
Ahead and Beyond, Boris Vallejo 2005-Mar This painting was featured in the 2005 Fantasy Calendar and also used for the cover.
Air (2002)
Air, Boris Vallejo Ult_Ill.105 One of four drawings, two by Boris and the other two by Julie, illustrating the four traditional elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

Boris and Julie intended the drawings as designs for a set of sculptures produced by themselve rather than through a third party. Ultimately they experienced too many hurdles and did not proceed with the project.

See Water for Boris' other drawing in the set. Julie's drawings can be seen in the The Ultimate Illustrations book page.

Alabaster City (1995)
Alabaster City, Boris Vallejo BJ box card
1996-Dec
Painted for the 1996 Fantasy Calendar.
Alethia Reborn (2005) (BJ)
Alethia Reborn, Boris & Julie 2007-Dec Featured in the 2007 Fantasy Calendar. I do not know if it was painted specifically for this use but suspect it wasn't because the calendar features a number of images I know to be repurposed paintings.
Alien Visitor (1990)
Alien Visitor, Boris Vallejo B3.70
CD1
FPG.02
FPG.13
This was painted as a wrap-around book cover for The Ring of Charon by Roger MacBride Allen (Tor Books, 1990.)

Boris added the alien, missing from the original artwork and book cover, to make the picture more saleable.

The Alien Within (1985)
The Alien Within, Boris Vallejo B1.25
CD1
Cover for Voyagers II: The Alien Within (Tor Books, 1988) by Ben Bova.

The Alien Within - detail, Boris VallejoThe sources for this image show a curious white object, at the start of the road leading to the tower, which is missing from the book cover. Closer examination reveals what appears to be a piece of (self adhesive?) paper that had become attached to the painting!

All Is Well (2012)
All Is Well, Boris Vallejo 2013-Centre This painting was used as the centrepiece for the 2013 Fantasy Calendar. The format of the picture suggests it was specifically painted for the calendar.
Allies (calendar) (BJ) (2012)
Allies (revised), Boris & Julie 2014-Mar This is the version of an unnamed painting, see Allies (original), modified for use in the 2014 Fantasy Calendar. In addition to hiding the original's nudity, the modification also included a whole new head, implying that the model didn't want to be identified in the calendar.
Allister the Slayer (1995)
Allister the Slayer, Boris Vallejo Cover art for Alister the Slayer #1, a comic book.

This was also used as the centrepiece for the 2000 calendar under the title Jiroc of Sten: in this case it has been redated 1999 so I assume that it has been modified in some way but the only differences I can detect are possible extensions to the top and bottom to suit the calendar's centrepiece format.

Alone (1980)
Alone, Boris Vallejo CD1
Mirage
One of the Mirage paintings.

The titles of Alone and First Love are interchanged on the CD.

Alone on the Top (2007) (BJ)
The Trail, Boris & Julie I have no information concerning the purpose of this painting but a version of it, suitably censored, was used for the 2013 Fantasy Calendar under the title The Journey.
Alpnu (1989)
Alpnu, Boris Vallejo AC.4
B1.36
BoB.28
FPG.06
Portfolio 11
1990-Jan
Painted for the 1990 Mythology Calendar.

Alpnu is the Etruscan goddess and guardian of the gates to the underworld.

The model is Julie Bell, Boris' (then) future wife and this is the first of his paintings to feature her.

Alter Ego (1982)
Alter Ego, Boris Vallejo Mirage Drawn for Mirage, this is one of the twelve untitled drawings featured at the start of the book.
Amaethon (1990)
Amaethon, Boris Vallejo B2.65
BoB.84
1991-Feb
Painted for the 1991 Mythology Calendar.

Amaethon derives from British mythology and is possibly a harvest god.

Amaryllis Embrace (2010)
Amaryllis Embrace, Boris Vallejo 2011-centre
Dland.115
Used as the centrepiece, under the title At the Summit, for the 2011 Fantasy Calendar.
Amazon (2001)
Spear Maiden, Boris Vallejo SG.F3
CD2
Sketch.122
Ult_Ill.099
Design drawing for a Franklin Mint sculpture which was to feature the woman with a dragon. Apparently, unauthorised changes were made to the dragon which Boris was not happy with. I'm not familiar with any sculpure featuring this woman so perhaps the sculpture was never produced.
Amazon Princess and Her Pet
Amazon Princess and Her Pet, Boris Vallejo Boris 1
FABV.22
1981-May
Painted as the cover for Boris.

According to Boris the original title is Amazon Princess and Her Pet but by the time it was published in the calendar it had become Amazon's Pet, the name by which it is more commonly known.

The painting is undated but both FABV and the calendar give the year as 1977.

Amazon Queen - preliminary sketch (1984)
Barbarian Queen - preliminary art, Boris Vallejo B2.43 Preliminary artwork for the film Barbarian Queen.

Althought the drawing is dated 1985, the painting based on it was actually completed in 1984! (See the two entries below for more information.) I believe that this is one of a number of undated sketches that, for whatever reason, were retrospectively dated 1985. Clearly, in this case (and others which are separately identified,) the date is wrong.

Amazon Queen / Amazon Queens / Amazon's Queen (1984)
Barbarian Queen (1984), Boris Vallejo 1986-Apr
IoJ.64
Painted as a poster for the film Barbarian Queen.

This is the original version of the painting based on the preliminary artwork (see above.) It was used for the initial film advertising and I have also seen it used for more recent video/DVD releases of the film. It was subsequently overpainted and redated 1985: see the next painting below.

Amazon Queen (1985)
Barbarian Queen (1985), Boris Vallejo CD1
FAT 79
As detailed above, this was painted as a poster for the Barbarian Queen film. Presumably at the producer's request, the original artwork was overpainted with the foreground mist and enhanced lightning. This work resulted in the signature being obliterated so it was re-signed and redated 1985. This later version was then used to promote the film although the original version was also subsequently used too!
Amazon Rider (1983)
Chosen of Mida, Boris Vallejo B2.26
BoB.63
CD1
1985-Sep
Cover painting for Chosen of Mida by Sharon Green (Daw Books,1984) which is book III in herJalav - Amazon Warrior series.
The Amazon's Pet
Amazon Princess and Her Pet, Boris Vallejo Boris 1
FABV.22
1981-May
Painted as the cover for Boris.

According to Boris the original title is Amazon Princess and Her Pet but by the time it was published in the calendar it had become Amazon's Pet, the name by which it is more commonly known.

The painting is undated but both FABV and the calendar give the year as 1977.

Amazons (1986)
Amazons (1986), Boris Vallejo B1.41
BoB.44
CD1
FPG.23
Portfolio 13
Movie poster for the Roger Corman film Amazons (1986.)
The Amazons (1988)
The Amazons (1988), Boris Vallejo B1.87
CD1
FPG.21
1990-May
Painted for the 1990 Mythology Calendar.
Amber (1994)
Talisman, Boris Vallejo BoB.89 A fairy preserved in a piece of amber and used as a paperweight.

Cover art for Talisman (Penguin/Roc, 1994,) a collection of stories in the Earth Dawn series, edited by Sam Lewis.

Boris was only given a brief description of what was required so did not know that it should have been in a fantasy, rather than modern, setting.

Ambush (2010)
Two Travelers, Boris Vallejo 2012-Jan A painting from the 2012 Fantasy Calendar.
American Football (1984)
American Football, Boris Vallejo B1.73
CD1
FAT 51
Verk
Painted for an article about professional football in the August 1984 edition of Playboy. The article and painting referenced Super Bowl XVIII so it is no surprise that Boris painted Lyle Alzado, of Los Angeles Raiders, holding up a shredded Washington Redskins shirt. Raiders won 38-9 setting Super Bowl records for most points and highest winning margin.

Footbal Hero - lefthand detail, Boris VallejoThe painting was subsequently acquired from Hugh Hefner by one of his Bunnies who was responsible for having the lefthand side overpainted like this:

Amphitrite's Playground
Amphitrite's Playground, Boris Vallejo 2018-centre This is a version of Boris' painting Skywalker modified, by the addition of (very brief) clothing, for use in the 2018 Fantasy Calendar.
Anath Slays the Warriors (1988)
Anath Slays the Warriors, Boris Vallejo B3.08
1989-Aug
Painted for the 1989 Mythology Calendar.

Hebrew myth: Anath, a fertility goddess as well as the Goddess of Love and War, lured a troop of warriors to her temple, ostensibly for a celebration. Once they were there, however, she slew them all single-handedly. Subsequently she cleansed and perfumed herself and, as if in benediction, the heavens sent down rain. This symbolism is connected with the ancient Semitic belief in blood as the essence of life, not only in terms of human and animal life, but also in terms of agriculture.

Models were Boris' (then) wife Doris and son Dorian.

And Then There Were None (1996)
And then there were None, Boris Vallejo CIS.6
1998-Nov
A (t-shirt?) design that was intended for Crusade For Kids in their anti-drug crusade. It was subsequently used in the 1998 Mythology Calendar where it had the title Britorgan.
Android (1980)
Crisis on Citadel II, Boris Vallejo B2.52
CD1
FAT 39
Cover for Crisis on Citadel II by David Hagberg (Ace/Tempo, 1980,) book #3 in his Flash Gordon series. That title is what appears on the book's cover but throughout the body of the book it is given as Crises on Citadel II!
Andromeda in Chains
Andromeda in Chains, Boris Vallejo B3.69
BJ.54
1989-Sep
Painted for the 1989 Mythology Calendar.

Greek mythology: A sea monster was ravaging the countryside and the princess Andromeda was to be sacrificed to him that he might cease his destruction. Perseus, on his way home to Seriphos, having slain the Gorgon Medusa, happened upon Andromeda chained to a rock in the sea. He saved her by pulling Medusa's head from his pouch and turning the monster to stone.

Angel (1979)
Forever Moments, Boris Vallejo CD1
Mirage
Painted as an illustration for Mirage where it where it was coupled with the poem Forever Moments.
Angel (1981)
Scarecrow Angel, Boris Vallejo 1984-Jan
CD1
FAT 71
Mirage
BorisV
Verk
Painted for Mirage.
Angel (1984)
Angel (1984), Boris Vallejo B2.67
CD1
Enchantment
Painted as an illustration, for the story of the same name, for Enchantment.

This is entitled Angel II on B2.67 which title, if used at all, ought to be applied to Angel (1989) since it was painted five years later.

Angel (1989)
Angel (1989), Boris Vallejo B2.61 Painted as a decorative wall poster for Verkerke.
Angel (2001)
Resting, Boris Vallejo Ult_Ill.032 The book tells us that the (unnamed) model is a fan of Boris and Julie who offered to model for them. She has since appeared in several paintings.
Angel's Freedom (2002)
Angel's Freedom, Boris Vallejo 2006,centre Featured as the centrepiece of the 2006 Fantasy Calendar. Given that the painting is dated 3 years before the calendar was issued, I assume it was painted for some other purpose.
The Angry Ghost
The Angry Ghost, Boris Vallejo CD2 Cover art for The Angry Ghost by Kenneth Robeson (Bantam Books, 1977) book #86 in the Doc Savage series.
Antecorn (1981)
Daydream, Boris Vallejo B2.68
Mirage
This painting is referred to in the introductory text for Mirage as Daydream, although the book uses no titles. The title used here is taken from the trading card set.
Antennae (1986)
Antennae, Boris Vallejo B4.06 One of a series of paintings for an advertising campaign for Chess King the (now defunct) america clothing chain. Boris was involved from 1985 to 1988.
Anyea (2009) (BJ)
Anyea, Boris & Julie 2010.Apr
Dland.006
Painted specifically for the 2010 Fantasy Calendar where it featured on the cover and the month of April.
AO (BJ)
Aaron Owens, Boris & Julie Dland.181 One of several artworks promoting Mountain Dew and the And1 Mixtape Tour of 2006. I originally thought they were for a card game but upon further consideration I think they were featured on card coasters (what we, in UK, call beermats (dripmats in other parts of the world?)) I only know of four paintings for this set but it is conceivable that Boris and Julie painted others too.

This particular portrait is of AO (all the cards use the players' nicknames) whose real name is Aaron Owens. The alternative title The Admiral is presumably based on the jacket being worn by him but I do not know whether this is of any relevance.

Mountain Dew is one of PepsiCo's brand names, hence the title Pepsi Cola 1 when it was originally published on the old Imaginistix website.

All the paintings are unsigned but the cards were published in early/mid 2006 so it could date to that, or the preceding, year.

Apache Wells (1975)
Apache Wells, Boris Vallejo B1.74
CD1
Book cover for Apache Wells by Robert Steelman (Ballantine Books, 1976.)

The painting is signed but not dated - the date above is that given on the trading card.

Ape's Land (1979)
The City, Boris Vallejo B1.16
CD1
FAT 125
1982-May
Book cover for The City (Pocket Books, 1979) by Jane Gaskell, book #4 in The Atlan Saga.

The model, for both female figures, appears to be Danielle Anjou (of Mirage fame.)

Aphrodite (1989)
Aphrodite, Boris Vallejo B2.57
BoB.T1
1991-Jun
Greek Mythology. Painted for the 1991 Mythology Calendar.
Apocalypse vs Angel (1996)
Apocalypse vs Angel, Boris Vallejo MM96.61/62 Another of the 50 or so paintings Boris produced for the Marvel Masterpieces '96 (Fleer/Skybox 1996) trading card set. This was one of the ten horizontal format paintings featuring two opposing characters. The images were split down the middle and issued as two, vertical format, halves.
Apollo (1991)
Dorian the Archer, Boris Vallejo Ladies.068
Ult_Ill.057
One of the untitled drawings from Ladies, this drawing shows the god Apollo who, using his bow, was responsible for the death of the unfaithful Coronis (his former lover.)
An Apple a Day (2017)
Kiss of the Temptress, Boris Vallejo Painted for an exhibion, this is Boris' version (inversion?) of the Temptation of Eve story.

You might want to look at the sculpture shown in the top-left corner of the painting – here's a close-up for those of you whose eyes are not up to the task.

The Apprentice - prelim (1981)
The Apprentice (1981) - preliminary art, Boris Vallejo Contrary to appearances, this was intended for a private commission rather than a book cover. Boris says that the client wanted something based on previous paintings but, after 42 years, he can't recall why things never progressed beyond the preliminary stage.

The title Phoenix is that provided, at Boris' behest, by the original purchaser of the artwork – presumably based on similarities to the 1991 calendar painting of the same name. I think however that The Apprentice is a more appropriate title.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2007) (BJ)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Boris & Julie Imagix.192 Promotional artwork for the 2007 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters movie, a spinoff from the Aqua Teen Hunger Force animated TV series.
Aquarius, the Water Bearer (1987)
Aquarius, the Water Bearer, Boris Vallejo B2.24
BoB.57
CD1
1988-Feb
Painted for the 1988 Zodiac calendar.
Aquatic Angel
Sunfish, Boris Vallejo 2020-Oct Featured in the 2020 Fantasy Calendar, the square format suggests that this was painted specifically for that purpose.

The painting is undated but was probably painted in about 2018.

The Aquilonian (1977)
Conan of Aquilonia, Boris Vallejo B2.75
CD1
FABV
FPG.49
WOB.6
Book cover for Conan of Aquilonia by L Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter.
Arachne (1991)
Arachne, Boris Vallejo B4.14
Ladies 152
The main illustration, for the story of the same name, for Ladies.
Arachne - drawing (1991)
Unicorn (Ladies), Boris Vallejo BJ.U2
Ladies
One of the pencil drawings that accompanied the story of Arachne in Ladies.

See above for the painting.

Araminta Station (1987)
Araminta Station, Boris Vallejo B1.28
CD1
Cover art for Araminta Station by Jack Vance (Tor Books, 1988.)
Arcane
Arcane, Boris Vallejo Diva 18 Cover art for Arcane by Carl Sherrell (Jove Books, 1978.) The book is unusual in that each of the 22 chapters is named after a randomly chosen Tarot card the title of which, in turn, helped dictate the developement of the plot.
Archangel (1994)
Archangel (1994), Boris Vallejo '94 Painted for the X-Men '95 Ultra (Fleer, 1994) trading card set.
Archangel (1996)
Archangel (1996), Boris Vallejo MM96.63 Another painting of the Marvel character, this time for the Marvel Masterpieces '96 (Fleer/Skybox 1996) trading card set.
The Archangel of Space and Time (1994)
Space and Time, Boris Vallejo BJ.49
1996-Sept
Dreams.047
Painted for the 1996 Fantasy Calendar.

September '96 image. Offered for sale on the official Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell Web site under the title Dannie.

Archer (1982)
Archer (1982), Boris Vallejo Mirage
Ult_Ill.065
One of the drawings from Mirage, the figure was inspired by the renowned bodybuilder, and former Mr Universe, Albert 'Al' Beckles.
Archer (1987)
Archer (1987), Boris Vallejo B4.51 Painted for the dutch company Verkerke and published by them as a wall poster.
Archery (1986)
Archery, Boris Vallejo B3.50
BoB.74
1987-Centre
Centrepiece for the 1987 Fantasy Olympics Calendar.
Archie
Toast, Boris Vallejo CIS.5 Painted for a Michelob beer ad. Ultimately, this proved to be a controversial artwork and was not used: examination of the character's left hand shows the crushed can of a competitor's product! Toast - detail, Boris Vallejo

The painting is signed but not dated.

Arena
Arena (1976), Boris Vallejo Dland.058 Story illustration for the March 1977 edition of Starlog magazine where it warranted a double page spread (though another illustration did obscure most of the right-hand third.) The story concerned is Fredric Brown's classic 1944 tale Arena which has been republished a number of times and also been adapted to several well-known TV shows (including an episode of Star Trek.)

The painting is signed but not dated. It would have been painted in late 1976/early 1977.

The Arena (1987)
Arena (1987), Boris Vallejo Artwork for the 1988 video release of Naked Warriors, a 1974 Roger Corman movie starring Pam Grier which was originally released as The Arena.
Ariadne (1991)
Ariadne, Boris Vallejo B3.56
BoB.88
BJ.50
Ladies 38
The main illustration, for the story of the same name, for Ladies.

Greek mythology: Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos. She gave Theseus the thread that helped him find his way out of the labyrinth after killing the Minotaur.

Ariadne and the Minotaur (1991)
Ariadne and the Minotaur, Boris Vallejo BJ.50
Ladies.049
Ult_Ill.078
A drawing from Ladies, this accompanied the story of Ariadne and the Minotaur.
Aries, the Ram (1987)
Aries, the Ram, Boris Vallejo B2.28
BoB.76
CD1
1988-Apr
Painted for the 1988 Zodiac Calendar.
Arm (1982)
Arm, Boris Vallejo CD1
Mirage
Pencil drawing for Mirage.
Arriving in the Big City (1992)
Unwillingly to Earth, Boris Vallejo B4.16 Cover art for Unwillingly to Earth by Pauline Ashwell (Tor Books, 1992.)
Artemis (1990)
Artemis, Boris Vallejo B2.48
BoB.64
1991-Aug
Painted for the 1991 Mythology Calendar.

Greek mythology: Artemis was spied on by a hunter as she bathed in the river. When she discovered him, she turned him into a deer so that he was torn to pieces by his own hunting dogs.

Boris' painting of Diana and Actaeon from 2 years earlier also covers the same subject.

Note: in the Best of Boris set, the titles of cards 64 and 34, Artemis and Diana respectively. are interchanged (although I probably don't need to point out that these are the greek and roman names for the same entity.)

As the Wind Blows (1982)
As_the_Wind_Blows, Boris Vallejo Mirage
Ult_Ill.028
Another popular image, this is one of the drawings from Mirage where, in common with all the other artwork contained therein, it is untitled.
Asclepius (2020)
Asclepius, Boris Vallejo 2020-Mar Originally posted on Julie Bell's Instagram and Boris' & Julie's FaceBook accounts this is a portrait of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and doctors. His distinctive staff with entwined serpent is used as the symbol of Medicine. This is different to the Caduceus which has a winged staff and two serpents and is the symbol of the god Hermes.
Ashtaroth (original) (1993)
Ashtaroth (original), Boris Vallejo BJ.M2
1994-Sep
Painted for the 1994 Mythology Calendar.

Arabian myth: The goddess of the moon in Phoenician mythology, Ashtaroth is represented as a beautiful maiden reclining on a crescent moon. Her cult was strongly connected to those of both Venus and Aphrodite and, like them, she represented sensuality.

Ashtaroth (revised) (1993)
Ashtaroth (revision 1), Boris Vallejo As can be seen, the area above the model (Josephine Masonet) has been overpainted - presumably this was to add more interest to the upper right quadrant (and, perhaps, because Boris likes painting nebulae!)

A further modified version, under the title Goddess of the Moon, was used for one of the Franklin Mint fantasy knives.

Askani (1994)
Askani, Boris Vallejo '94 Another painting for the X-Men '95 Ultra trading card set.
Assassin of Gor
Assassin of Gor, Boris Vallejo B3.41
CD1
Book cover for Assassin of Gor by John Norman (Ballantine, 1976.)

The artwork is undated but would have been painted in either 1975 or 1976.

Assumption of Risk (1993)
Assumption of Risk, Boris Vallejo BJ.10 Cover for Battletech: Assumption of Risk (Penguin/Roc, 1993) by Michael Stackpole.
Astarte (1992)
Astarte (1992), Boris Vallejo B4.10
BoB.23
1994-Oct
Painted for the 1994 Mythology Calendar.

Syrian and Phoenician mythology: Goddess of war, mistress of horses and chariots. She captured her horse Baldium from a herd of carnivorous horses of the underworld. The steed fed off the souls of slain warriors, gaining strength and power from his macabre feast.

At Dawn They Came (2010)
Conan, Boris Vallejo 2012-Aug
Dland.173
A Conan painting produced for a private commission, this painting was featured in the 2012 Fantasy Calendar.
At Dusk (2001)
Journey's End, Boris Vallejo 2003-May Apparently painted for the 2003 Fantasy Calendar where it appears for the month of May.
At the Door (1994)
At the Door, Boris Vallejo BoB.10
IoJ
Cover art for issue #2 of Paradox¿ magazine for July 1994.
At the Edge of the World (2000)
At the Edge of the World, Boris Vallejo 2002-Jul
Imagix.037
This appeared in the 2002 Fantasy Calendar. Its square format would suggest that it was specially painted for the calendar.
At the End of the Day (1995)
At the End of the Day, Boris Vallejo CIS.7
1999-Apr
This piece was done specifically for the Comic Images Supreme card set where it is titled At the End of the Day.

The calendar version is laterally reversed compared to the trading card. As can be seen from the signature, the trading card is the correct way round so that has been used for the illustration here.

At the End of the World (1979)
At the End of the World, Boris Vallejo CD1
FAT 43
WOB.29
1982-Centre
Painted as the cover for World of Tiers Volume 1, an SFBC anthology of Philip José Farmer's books in that series. The painting illustrates a scene from the first book: The Maker of Universes.
At the Shore
At the Shore - preliminary art, Boris Vallejo B4.55 Sketch appears to be undated.

You may want to compare this with At the End of the Day above. The similarities make me wonder whether this ia an unused colour rough for that painting.

At the Summit (2009)
At_the_Summit, Boris Vallejo 2011-Mar
Dland.038
Another calendar painting, this time from the 2011 Fantasy Calendar
At the Summit (2010)
Amaryllis Embrace, Boris Vallejo 2011-centre
Dland.115
Used as the centrepiece, under the title At the Summit, for the 2011 Fantasy Calendar.
At the Sunrise (2017)
Standing Tall, Boris Vallejo 2019-Jan Although it is featured in the 2019 Fantasy Calendar it was clearly not painted for that purpose. The proportions of this painting show that it was painted for another reason since, as well as being cropped on either side, the top had to be stretched to produce the square calendar image.
Atlan (1978)
Atlan, Boris Vallejo B2.53
CD1
FPG.39
WOB.30
Cover for Atlan (Pocket Books, 1979) by Jane Gaskell, book #3 in The Atlan Saga.
Atlantis
Chakra II, Boris Vallejo Cover painting for the graphic novel Atlantis (Apache Comunications, 1983,) which despite stating that it is "Vol, 1, No. 1" is the second of three anthologies of the Captain Newfoundland comic strip from the Newfoundland Herald. As well as the aforementioned superhero (also known as Captain Atlantis, the dark entity on the left) it also features Captain Canada (the chap with the Maple Leaf on his chest) on the right. In addition to the cover the painting was also reproduced as an internal illustration.

The painting is signed but not dated.

Atlas (1988)
Atlas, Boris Vallejo B1.85
BoB.17
Portfolio 27
1990-Feb
The Greek god who holds up the world.

Painted for the 1990 Mythology Calendar.

Atlas Shrugged (1979)
John Galt, Boris Vallejo Painted for an article in the May 1979 edition of Starlog magazine about the science fiction of Ayn Rand.

Rand's 1957 book Atlas Shrugged, set in the early part of this century, tells the story of John Galt who is a political activist. A crucial part of the tale towards the end of the book is where he is captured and tortured by the government, a scene graphically illustrated in this painting.

Attack! (2001)
Attack!, Boris Vallejo 2003-Jul
Imagstx.016
This painting appeared in the 2003 Fantasy Calendar for the month of July and was, presumably painted for the purpose.
The Attack of the Gork
Through the Reality Warp, Boris Vallejo Boris
B1.17
CD1
FABV
WOB.4
1983-Sep
Cover for Through the Reality Warp by Donald J Pfell, published by Ballantine Books.

The female model was Boris' first wife, Doris.

Painted 1976.

Attack of the Misfits (2003) (BJ)
Attack of the Misfits, Boris & Julie Imagix.166 The other promotional piece produced for the Sony Online gaming site.
Aurora (1990)
Aurora, Boris Vallejo B2.66
BoB.86
1991-Jul
Painted for the 1990 Mythology Calendar.

Roman goddess of the dawn, after whom the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis are named.

Awaiting the Battle (1999)
Awaiting the Battle, Boris Vallejo 2000-Sep
SG.001
Imagstx.050
Apparently painted for the 2000 Fantasy Calendar.
Awakening (1997)
Awakening, Boris Vallejo 1998-Jun Painted for the 1998 Fantasy Calendar.
Ax (1985)
Ax - preliminary art, Boris Vallejo B3.31
CD1
Sketch done for Playboy magazine but rejected as not sufficiently explicit; project then abandoned.

In the absence of information to the contrary I must assume that this was drawn in 1985 but for reasons previously stated (see Amazon Queen above) I am dubious about the accuracy of this year when it appears on any sketch (particularly if signed in white/silver ink.) Having said that, there must be some sketches which correctly show this year!

The Ax-Man / Axing the Nightmares (1995)
Axing the Nightmares, Boris Vallejo CIS.2 Painted for use on a T-shirt by Crusade For Kids.

A modified version, under the title Gilkarth's Odyssey was also used in the 1998 Fantasy Calendar.

Axe I (2004) (BJ)
I Love You So, Boris & Julie Imagix.076 One of several paintings for the Lynx range of toiletries.

This painting appeared, in modified form, in the 2008 Fantasy Calendar under the title Creation.

Axe II (2004) (BJ)
My Love, Boris & Julie One of several paintings produced for an advertising campaign for Lynx, the well know toiletries company.

A modified version under the title Tragedy Falls was used in the 2007 Fantasy Calendar.

The other paintings may be seen at I Love You So and Mermaid Love.

Axe Maiden (2000)
Axe Maiden, Boris Vallejo Sketch.123
Ult.Ill.047
According to Ultimate Illustrations the figure was modelled by a professional NFL cheerleader. No other information is given about this drawing.
Axin Arrival (2007)
They Came from the Stars, Boris Vallejo 2009-Jan A painting from the 2009 Fantasy Calendar.
Aztec King (1979)
Heroes and Villains, Boris Vallejo B3.25
Diva
Cover painting for Heroes and Villains by Angela Carter (Pocket Books, 1979.)

The models were Danielle Anjou and Boris.



Page last updated: 2024-03-16