He has been called America's reigning dean of historical arts, and his interest in art from an early age sent him on to study at Brooklyn College, UCLA, and Pratt Institute. Through his affiliation with National Geographic Magazine he learned the value of working with historians to incorporate accuracy into his concepts. Kunstler's paintings began attracting the attention of serious collectors in the early 1970's. In 1982 CBS-TV commissioned him to do a painting for their show "The Grey and the Blue," pointing Kunstler in the direction of the civil war. He had over 200 of his paintings appear in the book The American Spirit, and his talent and record for accuracy earned him a commission from the U.S. Postal Service in 1992. The stamp, Buffalo Soldiers, was issued in April of 1994. No other artist can lay claim to the number of historical paintings by Kunstler, and certainly none can compare to the authenticity and drama he brings to the canvas.
