Frederick Coffay Yohn

Frederick Coffay Yohn, often known by his initials, F. C. Yohn, was an American artist and magazine illustrator.

Background

Yohn's work appeared in publications including Scribner's Magazine, Harper's Magazine, and Collier's Weekly. Books he illustrated included Jack London's A Daughter of the Snows, Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Dawn of a To-morrow and Henry Cabot Lodge's Story of the American Revolution. He studied at the Indianapolis Art School during his first student year and then studied at the Art Students League of New York under Henry Siddons Mowbray. Mowbray studied at the Atelier of Léon Bonnat in Paris. Yohn often specialized in historical military themes, especially of the American Revolution, as well as the First World War.
He designed the 2-cent US Postal Service stamp in 1929 to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of George Rogers Clark's Victory over the British at Sackville. In 1977 his painting “Herkimer at Oriskany 1777", showing a mortally wounded General Nicholas Herkimer on the battlefield, was selected as the image for a 13-cent Bicentennial stamp. His 1900 painting "Battle of Lake George" has been the cover art for several books, including Volume 2 of the American Heritage Illustrated History of the United States. He is also known for his painting of George Washington at Valley Forge.