Background
Cooke was born in Princeton, New Jersey in 1916.
historian painter art historian
Cooke was born in Princeton, New Jersey in 1916.
He studied at Oxford University, the Art Students League (under George Bridgman), Yale University School of Fine Art and Princeton University Graduate School, where he received his Doctor of Philosophy Cooke is better known for his work in art history than for his painting, having written several texts, including Painting Lessons from the Great Masters in 1967.
He was the Curator of Painting at the National Gallery of Art from 1961–1973, and before that he was a National Gallery Aide and acting assistant director, beginning in 1956. Participant of his duties as curator included heading the Expert Opinions Section of the National Gallery, where owners of artworks could come have their art appraised or otherwise identified. He was a well-known authority on fakes and forgeries, and was called the "Sherlock Holmes of the Art World" for his work in solving art mysteries of attribution.
As a curator, Cooke was very influential in the government sponsored art programs, helping to select artists for the Environmental Protection Agency art program, and serving as art advisor to National Aeronautics and Space Administration for ten years.
He organized the National Gallery Exhibit of National Aeronautics and Space Administration art in 1969. Cooke"s successes may have been more visible in art history, but he was also well regarded as an artist.
Cooke died in 1973.