...Mort Künstler painted this Newsweek cover for the international edition of October 31, 1977?
It portrayed the West German rescue operation of hostages held on a Lufthansa Airliner in the African city of Mogadishu. The mission was a complete success with all the hostages rescued and all the terrorists killed. Mort Künstler was called on by Newsweek to portray the rescue and he accepted the commission in spite of a one-day deadline. After talking with Newsweek personnel in both West Germany and Africa to learn as many facts as possible, he proceeded to paint the picture and get it to the Newsweek offices on the Friday before the publication date. It appeared on newsstands two days later! It appeared all over the world but the ultimate tribute was that it was selected by Newsweek editors for inclusion in their year-end Pictures of the Year Issue. It was the only painting selected. All the other pictures were photos!
|