Joe McKendry Creates Foldout Cover Art for The Atlantic’s November Issue
We’re thrilled to share that illustrator Joe McKendry has created the foldout cover art for the November issue of The Atlantic — a special edition titled The Unfinished Revolution, commemorating 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
This landmark issue features 21 figures central to the early founding and development of the United States, brought to life through Joe’s richly detailed, painterly style. His work beautifully bridges art and history, evoking the texture and techniques of Revolutionary-era painting while offering a contemporary interpretation that feels both timeless and deeply human.
“The glazing and the technique was probably fairly similar to painters from the time of the Revolution,” Joe shared in The Atlantic’s behind-the-scenes feature on the making of the cover.
The final piece is a stunning tableau that invites readers to reflect on America’s founding ideals and the ongoing evolution of the nation’s story. Through subtle symbolism, expressive gestures, and an impeccable sense of composition, Joe captures the complexity, ambition, and unfinished nature of the American experiment.
This commission marks a major milestone in Joe’s career, underscoring his mastery of narrative illustration and his ability to infuse history with life and emotion.
✨ The Atlantic’s November issue, The Unfinished Revolution, is on newsstands soon.
→ Listen to Joe talk about it HERE.
Congratulations to Joe McKendry on this extraordinary achievement!
About Joe McKendry
Joe McKendry is a painter and illustrator whose work has appeared in over 100 publications worldwide, including the New York Times, the London Times, Vanity Fair, Esquire, andTIME Magazine. His books, Beneath the Streets of Boston: Building America’s First Subway (David R. Godine, 2005) and One Times Square: A Century of Change at the Crossroads of the World (David R. Godine, 2012), chronicle the history of their subjects in a way that is accessible to both children and adults. A native of Maynard, MA, McKendry teaches painting and illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Brookline, MA with his wife and three kids.
