Early 20th Century Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Nude Figure is an ink drawing on ivory-colored paper realized by Jean Chapin in the First Half of 20th Century. The artwork represents a female nude. Good conditions. Signed with s...

Austro-Hungarian Soldiers is an original mixed media drawing in pencil and pen realized by Gabriele Galantara, the state of preservation of the artwork is good. The artworks represe...

Graphite with watercolor and black crayon on cream wove paper mounted to board, 12 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches (318 x 267 mm), full margins. Signed in pencil on the mount. In excellent condi...

Nude of little girl is an original pencil and pastels drawing on ivory paper by Anonymous Artist of the Early 20th Century. In very good condition...

Edith Bonney Franklin (American, 1881-1954) Child with Ball and Toy Rabbit, 1927 4 1/4 x 3 inches FRAMED: 5 1/4 x 4 inches Signed and dated at lower right: "EBFranklin/1927" [EBF mon...

Meticulously rendered art deco illustration of a stylized woman ( perhaps Asian ) having a dialog with a small monkey perch on her outstretched arm. ...

Bernard Boutet de Monvel was a French painter, sculptor, engraver, fashion illustrator and interior decorator. Although first known for his etchings, he earned notability for his pai...

Natacha Rambova imaginatively conceives and sketches a costume for Cecil B. DeMille's 1921 movie Fool's Paradise: Paramount. Rendered in Gouache, watercolor, pencil, and metallic s...

Original on Gouache on paper. Hand signed on front; signed, titled, dated with dedication on verso. Stamped "Composition originale". Frame size 30.5 x 26.5 inches. Artwork is in e...

Story illustration for "The Return" by Georgia Wood Pangborn for Harper's Monthly Magazine, published December 1916, page 44. In "The Return," Peter finds himself alone in the nurse...

Elsa, 1915 Charcoal on paper, 14 x 11 inches (35.6 x 27.9 cm) Signed and dated lower left: Daniel Garber / 1915 Provenance The artist; Estate of the artist, 1958; Tanis Garber Page,...

Léa Lafugie (1890–1972) was a painter who traveled extensively across Asia. She was renowned for her portraits. She studied at the School of Decorative Arts, followed by the École de...

Original illustration for a paper doll design, featuring Halloween-themed outfits, including a witch costume, a black cat, and a pumpkin jack-o-lantern. Medium: Watercolor and Ink o...

Jean Crotti Jeune fille aux cheveux roulés (Girl with rolled-up hair), ca. 1920 Pencil on paper 17 9/10 × 12 3/5 in 45.5 × 32 cm Unsigned Condition: Excellent condition.

Pen and ink, ink wash and pencil on paper, signed and dated (lower right), 38cm x 29cm (65cm x 55cm framed). This penetrating and wonderfully executed self-portrait, is all the mor...

Medium: Pastel on Board Signature: Signed Lower Left Contact for exact dimensions. Used for the June 1921 Matropolitan Magazine Cover, and also as a calendar illustration, which wa...

Villa Ravà, Biblioteca (Library) Architectural drawing, china ink on paper monogrammed lower right in pencil: M.P. Titled upper left: Villa Ravà – Biblioteca A finely detailed arch...

Statue of Vishnu Garuda, Bali, 1904 Signed with initials Pencil and ink on paper, 21.4 x 21.3 cm Literature: Bruce W. Carpenter, W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp. First European Artist in Bali,...

Complex Art Nouveau patterns intertwined with gracefull figures define this work by American Artist and illustrator, teacher and lecturer Mildred Bailey Carpenter. Signed in cartouc...

Carl Fredrik Hill’s drawing King Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Lützen is a visionary reimagining of a famous historical event. The composition centers on the Swedish king amidst...

Maurice Denis' extravagant charcoal drawing of a romantic draped figure with outstretched arms is a rare work from the post impressionist period. Signed with monogram (lower left) a...

*UK BUYERS WILL PAY AN ADDITIONAL 20% VAT ON TOP OF THE ABOVE PRICE Le corp de ferme by Paulémile Pissarro (1884-1972) Watercolour, ink and charcoal on paper 29.7 x 46.8 cm (11 ³/₄ ...

William Glackens, 1870-1938 Criticizing Ernest Lawson’s Art Class, ca. 1907 Watercolor and pencil on paper Signed (at lower left): Glackens Inscribed ...

America's greatest female illustrator draws a heartwarming picture of a mother putting to bed her child. Motherly love towards their children is the artist's most iconic theme. This ...

Medium: Charcoal on Board, Framed Under Glass Signature: Signed and Dated on the Back Sight Size 30.50" x 20.50," Framed 35.50" x 26.50" Great condition, bad glare from glass in thi...

Marius de Zayas was born in Veracruz, Mexico and emigrated to New York with his family in 1907. He joined the art staff of the New York Evening World newspaper and quickly became kno...

"La sentinelle de Thérèse" (The Sentinel of Therese), two soldiers discussing, bears a handwritten note at the bottom "if you feel like sneezing, you will go under the window of the ...

Original cover for Needlecraft Magazine, published January 1928 This delightful artwork graced the January 1928 cover of Needlecraft Magazine, offering a warm domestic scene that pe...

Fantasy illustration for children's book - "Princess Signelill and her brother” from “Sagobok av Elsa Beskow” Ink on paper, High-end archival matted. Unsigned Provenance: The Artis...

MARCEL DELMOTTE (1901-1984) Nude Signed and dated l.r.: M Delmotte/1928 Black and red chalks Framed 33 by 20 cm., 13 by 8 in. (frame size 53 by 39 cm., 21 by 15 ¼ in.) The son of...

STEINLEN, THEOPHILE ALEXANDRE (1859 -1923) "Trois Portraits" (Three Portraits) Original ink drawings, c. 1900 Initialed in ink by the artist Bears artist monogram stamp in black in...

Landscape with Haystacks by Ludovic-Rodo Pissarro (1878-1952) Watercolour on paper 15 x 34 cm (5 ⁷/₈ x 13 ³/₈ inches) Signed with Estate stamp (initials) lower right, LR an early wor...

A Charming 1920s Sketchbook Drawing of a Cat, by Florida WPA Era Artist, George Snow Hill. Colored pencil and graphite on paper, dating circa 1929. Sheet size: 6 1/2 x 5 inches, u...

This little gem of a compact artwork was executed in the Arts and Crafts style for an interior illustration for "The Wise Book," J.M. Dent & Co, London, 1906. "You can't eat your ca...

Francis De Erdely (Hungarian/American, 1904-1959) “Mexican Shark Fishermen” water color and Pencil on Paper within a pine frame and protective glass, circa 1930. Signed: ‘De Erdely’...

Fortunino Matania 1881-1963 Italian Piccadilly Circus Signed “Matania” (center, on bus) Watercolor and gouache on paper This exceptional watercolor and gouache composition by fam...

Lucien Victor Guirand de Scevola (1871-1950) Portrait of Marie-Thérèse Piérat in Les Marionnettes, 1910 Pencil on paper, signed, dated and annotated lower ...

Port de Honfleur by Paulémile Pissarro (1884-1972) Watercolour and crayon on paper 31.5 x 47.7 cm (12 ³/₈ x 18 ³/₄ inches) Signed lower left, Paulémile Pissarro Executed circa 1925 ...

Henri ROYER Nancy 1869 - 1938 Paris Study of dancers Sanguine pastel and charcoal on cream white paper Circa 1900-1910 Unsigned 47 x 62.5 cm sheet 67 x 83 cm cm frame Provenance: Es...

"The poor little bridesmaid ... in her pink cotton gown ... though doubtless, there never was such a pretty girl." A kitchen scene is depicted with a young bridesmaid admiring her f...

Standing Figure with Arms Upward is an original artwork attributed to Paul Grain and realized in the first years of the 20th Century. Cardboard passepartout included (cm 49 x 34). Ve...

Frosch Serenade is an original drawing in watercolour and pencil on paper, realized by Ludwig Von Hofmann . Framed. In very good conditions. The artwork represents a nude woman-bu...

Axel Hilleström (1874–1959) Sweden Archipelago Landscape With Sailboats, 1909 Watercolor on paper unframed 20.5 x 55 cm (8.1 x 21.7 in) framed 31 x 66 cm (12.2 x 26 in) This atmos...

Le Ministère du Commerce is an artwork realized by the satirical artist Henri-Paul Pecqueriaux (1889-1935) in the XX Century. Black penmark on paper. Signed on the lower left corner. Excellent conditions. Fresh sketch representing a satirical cartoon in b/w. A man is taking a bag full of money...

Art Sz: 9"H x 6'W Frame Sz: 18"H x 14 1/2"W w/ silver gilt frame Watercolour

The present work exhibits a storytelling and illustration art style created before the mass communications age. It was rendered in a flat linear style by the highly talented Maginel ...

Date: 1923 Medium: Drawing Signature: Signed Lower Left Contact for exact dimensions. published in Good Housekeeping magazine dated February 1923 for a story titled “She never forg...

Cubist influence mixed with soft warm colors is on full display in this charming work. Signed twice. 6 Gallery Tags on verso Sotheby's Kennedy Galleries Barbara Mathes Gallery Sid Deutsch Gallery The Downtown Gallery University of Arizona Art...

Signed nude watercolour on paper circa 1900 by Kees van Dongen. The piece depicts a standing nude woman with her hair tied up facing away from the artist. This superb work can be dir...

Le marché aux bestiaux by Paulémile Pissarro (1884-1972) Watercolour and ink on paper 23.7 x 31.2 cm (9 ³/₈ x 12 ¹/₄ inches) Signed lower right, Paul-Émile Pissarro Executed circa 19...

Bertha Corbett Melcher's The Sunbonnet Babies, with their flat, minimalist, semi-abstract, and symbolic style, are an early example of American Modernism/Surrealism by a lesser-known female artist/illustrator. The present work demonstrates a delicate balance between abstraction and representation and between the commonplace and the mysterious. Her signature use of a hat or sunbonnet to hide the identity of her subjects is a big conceptual and visual idea that has been overlooked in the fine art canon. The exact meaning of this is unknown, but 120 years after they were done, it resonates as somewhat surrealistic. Her work is a contradiction. She shows innocent children engaging in everyday activity but are depicted in vail of mystery. Why does she not show the faces of her subjects? Watercolor on paper (each) Six drawings in all on one board. 6-1/8 x 5 inches (15.6 x 12.7 cm) (each) One signed; two initialed; three not signed. Six drawing in all on one board. 6-1/8 x 5 inches (15.6 x 12.7 cm) (each) One signed; two initialed; three not signed The Sunbonnet Babies characters were created by illustration Bertha L. Corbett when she was challenged to create a faceless character who nonetheless was engaging and appealing. The characters were a wild hit and appeared in books, comics, and popular collectibles. They also became a popular motif in quilting. Few of Corbett's original drawings for the babies are known to survive, making this a rare offering. From: Wikipedia Sunbonnet Babies are characters created by commercial artist Bertha Corbett Melcher (1872–1950). Sunbonnet Babies featured two girls in pastel colored dresses with their faces covered by sunbonnets. Sunbonnet Babies appeared in books, illustrations and advertisements between the years of 1900 and 1930. Sunbonnet Babies were later used as a popular quilting pattern also known as Sunbonnet Sue.[1] Melcher created a male version of the Sunbonnet Babies, named the 'Overall Boys' in 1905.[2][3] History Bertha L. Corbett Melcher Sunbonnet Babies were created by Bertha Corbett Melcher (1872–1950).[4] Melcher was born in Denver and moved with her family to Minneapolis in the 1880s. Melcher attended art school in Minneapolis with plans to become a commercial artist.[5] She may have also studied with Howard Pyle.[6] By the 1920s, Melcher had moved to Topanga, California.[7][4] Melcher started drawing the Sunbonnet Babies in 1897. The origin of the signature style of the faces being covered by sunbonnets is contested by different members of Melcher's family and by Melcher herself. In an interview, Melcher's brother said their mother suggested Bertha avoid the difficulty of drawing faces by covering them with sunbonnets.[4] Melcher herself said that covering faces allowed her to communicate with body position.[4] Melcher has also said that the design came about in "answer to a friend’s challenge to convey emotion without a face."[2] Melcher published her first book, The Sun-Bonnet Babies in 1900.[3] Later, she shopped her illustrations to publisher Rand McNally of Chicago, and nine subsequent books were written by Eulalie Osgood Grover and illustrated by Bertha Corbett. In 1905, Melcher wrote The Overall Boys.[3] Many of these books were used as primers and used widely in primary schools in the midwest. Melcher used the sunbonnet babies in advertising and later established the Sunbonnet Babies Company. She started a studio to illustrate and create merchandise of the Sunbonnet Babies.[2] The characters also appeared in a comic strip.[2] Quilting Melcher herself did not originate the use of the sunbonnet babies as quilting pattern. The Sunbonnet Babies quilting pattern appeared in textile art 1910's in the Ladies Home Journal 1911–1912 in a quilt stitched by Marie Webster. The pattern was popular during the Great Depression. In the American South, it was often known as "Dutch Doll" until the 1970s.[3] There was also a quilt pattern based on the "Overall Boys," known by the various names including “Overall Bill, “Overall Andy,” “Sunbonnet Sam,” “Suspender Sam,” “Fisherman Jim."[3] Many patterns for quilts and sewing were designed by Ruby Short McKim and published in nationally syndicated newspapers.[8] Sunbonnet Sue became symbolic of 'female innocence and docility'.[9] Linda Pershing collected accounts from women quilters who depicted 'Sues' doing activities such as smoking, wearing more revealing clothing, and subverting feminine stereotypes.[10] In 1979, the “Seamsters Union Local #500," a group of quilters from Lawrence, Kansas, created “The Sun Sets on Sunbonnet Sue," a quilt depicting the character murdered in a variety of ways.[3] Collectibles Sunbonnet Babies merchandise includes school books, valentines cards, postcards, china, and quilts.[2][5][11] Sunbonnet Babies were adapted into three dimensional porcelain collectibles and pottery made by Royal Bayreuth Company in the early 1900s. The Royal Bayreuth China...

This charming and historically rich group of drawings, titled He Got Madder and Madder and Madder, is a complete narrative golf series by renowned American illustrator A. B. Frost, c...

Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Confederate Soldiers' Cemetery, Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, 1929 Watercolor on paper Signed and dated lowe...

Medium: Charcoal on Paper Dimensions: 20.00" x 24.50" Signature: Signed Lower Left

A turn-of-the-century fantasy illustration by female illustrator May Audubon Post features a charming fairy with expanded wings resting on Lilly s...

Watercolor on paper realized in the early 20th Century. Hand signed lower left. A delicate watercolor depicting a sunlit landscape of rolling hills and cultivated fields. Carrier e...

Eva Tanguqy-A Strange Request, New York Evening World newspaper India ink and blue pencil on heavyweight paper 16-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches (41.9 x 26.7 cm) (each, image) Signed lower righ...

Flamenco Dancer. Romantic French pastel portrait on paper of a Spanish beauty by Louis Fortuney. The work is signed bottom left, and presented in a very fine carved gilt rococo wood ...

Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer 1865-1953 French Le fondeur de bronze Signed "Levy Dhurmer" (lower right) Pastel on paper French painter Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer was one of the leading artists of...

Watercolor by Louis Berthommé Saint-André, France, circa 1925 This exquisite watercolor by Louis Berthommé Saint-André, dating from around 1925, exemplifies the artist's mastery in ...