Background
Coffin was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 21, 1878, the son of Julia (Haskell) and George Mathewes Coffin.
Coffin was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on October 21, 1878, the son of Julia (Haskell) and George Mathewes Coffin.
His work appeared on the cover of leading magazines in the United States and on posters that the United States government commissioned. When he was young, his family moved to Washington, District of Columbia, where he attended the Corcoran School of Artist After a brief stint back in Charleston, where he painted portraits of society ladies, he went to France in 1902 to complete his training as an artist.
Coffin specialized in images of women, which were reproduced on the covers of popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, The American Magazine, Redbook, McCall"s, Leslie"s Illustrated, and the Pictorial Review.
He was one of the most highly paid illustrators of his era. Coffin was married twice.
Coffin was being treated for depression in an institution in Saint St. Petersburg, Florida when he leapt from a upper-story window and died. The date was May 12, 1941.
His remains were cremated.