The Borisography: S

See The Colisseum for a list of the other paintings.

For those of you interested in Julie's recipe for Broiled Salmon with Miso Tahini sauce, the original post can be seen here.

This must be something of a first – a Boris painting for a cookbook! It appeared in the book's Introduction.

For those that don't know, Bompas & Parr made their name with gelatine based products, hence the profusion of jellies in the painting, before expanding into other culinary areas.

You may want to make a comparison with Boris' drawing Dragon and Butterfly from the Midnight Angels portfolio. The two drawings do have many similarities, and were produced at about the same time, but there is no doubt that they are completely different drawings because the foreground/background details are quite different. However, by superimposing a mirror image of one onto the other, it is clear that the modelling of the girl (sans wings) and dragon is identical so clearly Boris used the same initial artwork for both pieces. I said "modelling" because although the major details are identical the actual detail – the girl's wings, costume, jewellery, hair and the dragon's skin – are very different.

Painting undated.

Greek Mythology: Satyrs were male wood nymphs looking mostly like men, but with horns and the legs of goats.

You may like to compare this with Tarzan, the cover painting for the 1978 calendar, with which this one bears a distinct similarity.

Although it is signed it is undated. Since it was first published in February 2012 I would guess that it was painted in 2011.

Boris' original concept for this was realistic figures with flat graphic backdrops. The publishers rejected this, and insisted on realistic backdrops as well.

Boris did at least two other paintings for the company in 2001 and 2003 respectively. They were both for their Excel Sword range of thermal printing plates and therefore showed warrior types wielding swords. This painting shows a laser-equiped scorpion so presumably is for a different product range.

A modified (or should I say modestified?) version of the painting was featured in the 2018 Fantasy Calendar under the title Ethereal Sculptress.

Although it is undated the exhibition website gave the year as 2016.

It is also available as part of a limited edition autographed print poster series - see the Limited Editions page for Search for the Horned Beast for more information.

Since the image was obtained from borisjulie.com no other information is available but I have since learned that it will appear in the 2022 calendar.

Painting undated.

I have reservations about this being produced for the 1996 trading card set. The portrait date of 1992 suggests that either there was an exceedingly long lead-in time before publication or that it was produced for some other purpose.

Gaskell's novel was originally published in 1963 but in 1975 was republished as two separate books. Boris painted the covers for the 1978 editions of the two books (see The Dragon for the other) and, in due course, painted covers for the rest of the series too.

Boris apparently based his design on one of Julie's calendar paintings.

Although the published version is unsigned (as is my thumbnail too) I have seen a copy which does carry a signature and date.

The sketch is dated 1985 whereas the painting is dated 1987. Whilst the dates aren't inconsistent I think it more likely that this is another of the retrospectively, but wrongly, dated pieces.

This may well have been the inspiration for Snake Women in his original Mirage collection.

The cover of the paperback version provides this synopsis of the story "Spock and Sulu are swept into a savage power struggle on a primitive, savage world!" This explains why they are using swords as weapons.

I include detail which I find to be of interest.

As with the other Lynx ads, the painting is unsigned but a signature was shown on the published version which, I believe, showed the year 2004.

Painted 1978.

Peruvian history: in May 1536 Incan forces besieged the Spanish held city of Cuzco. The siege became a stand-off and in an attempt to break the deadlock the Spanish launched an attack against the Incan headquarters at Ollantaytambo, close to Machu Picchu. The Spanish failed in this attempt and the painting depicts the Incan victory. The siege of Cuzco remained unresolved until the arrival of Spanish reinforcements in April 1537 resulted in the ultimate defeat of the Incans three months later.

This character debuted in 1974. Originally a criminal he eventually joined the X-Men before reverting to type after the events of M-Day (I have no idea what this is.) He has since been superseded by his son.

Entitled The Silver Sword on the trading card.

The female figure appears to have been modelled by Julie Bell.

The painting has since been modified (see below) and you will see that the new image is laterally reversed compared to this one. Since both versions show the signature the right way around its anybody's guess which is the correct way.

As stated above, I do not know which of the two versions is the correct way around but I would guess that it is this one, the knife version being laterally reversed to conform with the shape of the knife's handle.)

Greek Mythology: The Sirens were beautiful nymphs who lived on a rocky island in the midst of the sea. They sang to passing sailors and their voices were so sweet, their songs so irresistible, that all who heard them were driven to jump from their boats and swim for the fateful shore on which they met their deaths.

A modified version was featured as the centrepiece of the 2018 calendar under the title Amphitrite's Playground.

The sketch is dated 1985 whereas the painting is dated 1987. Whilst the dates aren't inconsistent I think it more likely that this is another of the retrospectively, but wrongly, dated pieces.

Boris apparently based his design on one of Julie's calendar paintings.

Although the published version is unsigned (as is my thumbnail too) I have seen a copy which does carry a signature and date.

This may well have been the inspiration for Snake Women in his original Mirage collection.

You may like to compare this with Plate 6 of the Midnight Angels collection which provided the inspiration for this painting.

The common title Primeval Princess is straight-forward enough but I must admit to being baffled by the title So What? used in Diva.

Painted 1977.

This piece shows a quite extraordinary virtuosity in the depiction of the soap bubbles, as shown by the detail taken from the back of the lady's leg.

The image was originally obtained from the old Imaginistix web site. I'm not aware of it having been published elsewhere so assume it was a private commission.

See Façade for the censored version used in the 2014 Fantasy Calendar.

The painting was also used for rhe month of June, and the cover, of the 2015 Fantasy Calendar.

All the sources, except Fantasy Art Techniques, give the title as The Freebooter.

Painting is undated.

The photo shoot was done on an extremely hot day, and the female model had actually passed out when the reference photo was taken - there's realism and dedication!

You may want to check out The Splintering Realm for the cover of the second book in the series.

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

The painting is undated.

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

Although undated it was probably painted in 1976.

The painting is based upon a 20th Century Fox publicity photograph.

See The Colisseum for a list of the other paintings.

A version of this painting, modified to hide the nudity, was used as the centrepece for the 2023 Fantasy Calendar under the title A Natural Wonder (I don't have a scan of this version so haven't posted an image yet.)

See Façade for the censored version used in the 2014 Fantasy Calendar.

The painting for book one of the series may be found at The First Mother's Fire.

The book was published in early 1977 so the painting probably dates to 1976.

Although it is undated it was probably painted in 1974.

The painting was used for the month of June in the 2014 Fantasy Calendar.

All the images that I've seen are unsigned and, hence, undated but the autographed print available from the Imaginistix website (before it was redesigned in 2015) is signed and dated 1991 but the video game was released a year earlier than that! Another case of a piece being retrospectively signed with the wrong year? Or was it used for a later release on a different platform?.

The story was later adapted into a teleplay for the first series of Star Trek: The Next Generation under the title Where No One Has Gone Before.

Intended for the younger reader, this book differs from the usual novel in that it is a text adventure. The reader is presented with a series of narratives which end with them having to choose between a few courses of action (eg 'Run', 'Fight' or 'Do nothing.') The story resumes at a new page dictated by the particular choice. In this way a variety of different outcomes to the story are possible, not all of them being successful ones however.

The painting is not dated but a jigsaw of the artwork gives the copyright year as 1979.

Although the original painting was never produced the design was nevertheless adapted for the 1996 painting Combat Manoeuvres.

As well as being used in the Illustrators of Star Wars subset it was also used as the box art, to advertise the set and on the cover of a book about the set.

That background is inspired by the M-42 nebula.

It was stolen en route to be framed but I do not know whether this was the reason it was never published.

Painted 1976.

I'm uncertain whether or not this is by Boris but my own view is that if it is by him then it's not one of his best - the musculature seems to be rather overdone and the shading is not what I've come to expect.

I received an email from August, who I presume to be female, who says (in part): '… my brother's name is Steve. My mother used to teach Boris' wife horse-back riding lessons… and thus, the year I was born, Boris created this painting of him. However, he does not have a twin as the picture portrays.".

Painted 1976.

The painting was also used, after being digitally manipulated, in the 2019 Fantasy Calendar under the title Powerful Protector.

In addition to being an author, Leigh Bracket was also a well respected screenwriter, working on many well successful movies including, shortly before her death, The Empire Strikes Back.

Painted 1997.

FABV shows several stages of the designing and painting of this artwork.

You may like to compare this with Tarzan, the cover painting for the 1978 calendar, with which this one bears a distinct similarity.

The model for this painting was Julie Bell, Boris' wife.

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

The model appears to be Julie's sister Suzzane (who does feature in several other paintings too.)

The Suzle, voluptuous creatures of Siberian mythology, were hatched from eggs, and gave beauty and sensuality to the people of the earth. The Nydan, wormlike creatures with poisonous spikes, were envious of the Suzle and wanted to destroy them by making their warm hearts cold. The Nydan were eventually defeated when the envy of one of the worms turned to love, and in order to save the Suzle, it destroyed itself and all of the other Nydan.

Modelled by Julie Bell's sister Suzanne.

The card sets identify the image as Suzzle. The spelling in the recounting of the myth differs.

Sweet Chastity is the innocent, pink-haired heroine of the eponymous strip-cartoon series in the magazine who, inevitably, ends up in a state of undress. For this particular edition, six artists (Boris, Julie Bell and four others) were each asked to paint a pin-up of her and this was Boris' interpretation of her.

As with the other Lynx ads, the painting is unsigned but a signature was shown on the published version which, I believe, showed the year 2004.

This was the second painting for this same product. I don't have a copy of that artwork but see The Conqueror Comes for a modified version.

As is commonly the case, the magazine used a colourised version of the artwork on the cover. Usually the original artist has no say in how the work is colourised.

The artwork was also available as part of a limited edition of six prints.

See Magic Cloak and Victory Dance for the other two covers in the series.

Presumably sketched 1990.