J. Allen St. John - The Eternal Lover

J, Allen St. John (1872-1957), The Eternal Lover (1925). Oil on canvasboard; 25 x 18”. Book jacket illustration for The Eternal Lover by Edgar Rice Burroughs (A.C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, IL, 1925). From Chapter 1: “Nu of the Niocene” from The Eternal Lover: “… today Nu hunts the gigantic cat, the fierce saber-toothed tiger, Oo, …Oo is creeping upon him now. The grinning jaws drip saliva. The yellow-green eyes gleam bloodthirstily… Then Nu, cat-like as Oo himself, leaped agilely to one side as the huge bulk of the beast dashed, sprawling to the ground at the spot where the man had stood. Scarce had the beast struck the earth than the cave man, knowing that his puny weapon could at best but momentarily stun the monster, drove his heavy spear deep into the glossy side just behind the giant shoulder.”