George Wolfe Plank fashion magazine cover of 1918. Woman riding peacock.

George Wolfe Plank was an American illustrator best known for his whimsical and elegant cover art for fashion magazines during the early 20th century. Working primarily between 1911 and the late 1920s, Plank brought a theatrical, Art Nouveau sensibility to fashion illustration. His compositions often blended fantasy, decorative detail, and high fashion, helping to elevate magazine illustration into a refined art form during the Golden Age of Illustration.

His 1918 illustration featuring a woman riding a peacock is a striking example of his imaginative style. Created during World War I, the image contrasts the era's turmoil with an escapist fantasy—an opulently dressed woman poised atop a majestic peacock, exuding elegance and serenity. The composition blends Art Nouveau curves with exotic motifs, emphasizing luxury, femininity, and otherworldly glamour. It encapsulates Plank’s gift for transforming fashion imagery into dreamlike visual poetry.