Early 1900s Art

'Eggs' Antique English natural history chromolithograph. Key to eggs below the image. Tiny numbers in the margins to identify the eggs. Sheet 19cm by 12.5cm, image 13cm by 9.5cm.

To see our other views of Oxford and Cambridge, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the view you want. William Nicholson (1872-1949) Christ Church Library, Oxford Signed and numbered 34, published by Stafford Gallery with blind stamp Lithograph 26 x 34.5cm Probably best known through his graphic works, as a book designer and illustrator, Nicholson was greatly encouraged in his landscapes by Whistler from about 1900. In 1902-03 he produced a series of watercolour, chalk and pen drawings of Oxford which were published in 1905 by the Stafford Gallery as two portfolios of lithographs, with descriptions by Arthur Waugh – father of Evelyn Waugh...

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 ...

Wright BARKER 1864 - 1941 Canvas Size: 27 x 40" (69 x 102cm) Outside Frame Size: 33 x 46" (84 x 117cm) Oil on Canvas Free Shipping Exhibited : 1885 - 1935 He was a figure and animal painter who was based originally in Bradford, where he lived until 1885, when he moved to Edwinstowe, near Mansfield, Nottingham. In 1901 he moved to Hampstead and then back north to Harrogate where he stayed until his death. In his later years he became a picture dealer, but in his will he referred to himself as ‘animal painter’. Barker became a member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1896. Although he called himself an animal painter he is also known to have painted ‘Roman Maidens...

Hayley Lever, 'After the Storm', also 'Sunny Afternoon', watercolor on watercolor paper, the full sheet, the image extending to the sheet edges; in very good condition. Signed 'Hayle...

DAS WERK GUSTAV KLIMTS, a portfolio of 50 prints, ten of which are multicolor collotypes on chine colle paper laid down on hand-made heavy cream wove paper with deckled edges; under ...

View of Venice. Inscribed indistinctly with signature lower left and painted circa 1900. Additional inscriptions, verso, in graphite. Framed dimensions: 10H x 1.25D x 16.5W inches. ...

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...

Hortense DURY-VASSELON (1860-1924) Still Life with Roses and China Jewel Box Oil on canvas signed and dated 1905 low left DIm canvas : 63 X 50 cm Di...

Beautifully carved, Grand Tour period architectural model featuring fluted columns surmounted by Corinthian capitals and a relief carved pediment above a raised base inset with a fl...

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...

Walpi Hopi Village, Arizona First Mesa Landscape by Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel. Significant southwestern painting of Hopi at Walpi Mesa in Arizona...

“Now as Julia sat there drinking tea from the quaintest of old-fashioned china cups, and eating slices of thin bread and butter, and cakes that almost melted in her mouth, she could ...

Medium: original etching. This impression on laid paper was printed in 1901 for Gustave Geffroy's "La Vie Artistique". Image size: 4 1/4 x 3 inches (110 x 75 mm). Signed in the plate...

Hand-carved, white marble, relief medallion of famous Danish sculptor, Betel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) who has an entire museum dedicated to his work in Copenhagen.

A 1901 graphite & colored pencil drawing of La Barrière, Gerberoy, by important Post-Impressionist painter Henri Le Sidaner, titled "La Barrière, Gerberoy". Drawing accompanied with...

"Sysonby" Edward Herbert Miner (American, 1882-1941) Depicting the champion thoroughbred horse Sysonby (1902-1906) Oil on canvas, signed "E H Miner 1905" 24 x 32 inches (31 1/4 x 39...

Medium: Mixed Media on Board Signature: Unsigned Sight Size 28.00" x 19.75", Framed 39.00" x 30.75" Little kid looking out the window. Exhibitions: Allentown Art Museum, At the Edge: Art of the Fantastic (June 3- September 9, 2013) Literature: Aileen C. Higgins, Dream Blocks, New York, 1908, illustrated in color as frontispieceMichael S. Schnessel, Jessie Willcox Smith, Toronto, Canada, 1977, pp. 45, 94Edward D. Nudelman, Jessie Willcox Smith: A Bibliography, Gretna, Louisiana, 1989, A. 26, illustrated in color p. 50 Edward D. Nudelman, Jessie Willcox Smith: American Illustrator, Gretna, Louisiana, 1990, pp. 34, 48Alice A. Carter, The Red Rose Girls...

Medium: original color etching. Catalogue reference: Kraemer 23. Executed in 1906, this impression on cream laid paper is from the rare 1906 first edition of "Histoire des Peintres I...

Henry Mosler Woman Resting Beneath a Tree, circa 1900 Signed upper right: Henry Mosler Oil on canvas 12 1/2 x 10 inches Mosler was born in Tropplowitz, Silesia, Prussia (present-da...

Gustaf Fjæstad (Fjaestad) (1868–1948) Sweden A Rocky Shore at Night, Full Moon Signed “G. F.” Authenticated on the reverse by Bo Fjæstad (1903–1991), the artist’s son pencil on pap...

Les Boulevards Color llthograph on china paper, 1900 Signed In graphite, below image, right: P. Bonnard A proof outside of the edition of 100 for Das Ma...

Turn of 20th Century Spanish-American War Coast Guard Cutter with Cannons Original Oil Painting A fine example of maritime ship portraiture oil painting of a Coast Guard Cutter with cannons under sails during the Spanish American War by renowned Nautical British/American painter Captain William Lindsay Challoner (British/American 1852-1901), 1901. Auction values Luminous and striking painting with seaman unfurling sails heading into rough waters. Challoner served as captain of a naval vessel (Coast Guard Cutter) during the Spanish-American War. Here he is depicted on the deck of the ship while seamen scramble aloft on the rigging during a gale. The captain stands tall before the cannons at the ready to fend off intruders. His paintings are rare and highly prized by museums and Nautical collectors alike. Signed: Lower right corner "W. Challoner" Not framed Dated: "1910" Provenance: A local Monterey Bay area estate find. Condition: Professionally restored (conservation report available) Image size: 27.75"H x 47.38"W William Lindsay Challoner lived the peripatetic life of a mariner, spending much of his time at sea, and in ports such as New Orleans and San Francisco, California. He was born in Bedminster, England, and attended the York Naval Academy. In 1880, Challoner married Mary Cadogan. That same year, the couple immigrated to Argentina and then New Orleans. They had one son, William Lindsay Challoner, Jr. Lloyd’s Lists record Challoner as master aboard J.P. Macheca, a “Clipper Schooner” running bananas from Jamaica during the mid-1880s. The clipper also raced at the Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans. As is often the case, Challoner’s middle name is misspelled as “Lindsey” in J.P. Macheca & Co. records. He is also said to have served as captain for vessels in the Morgan Line. Painting was at first an avocation for Challoner, but his draftsmanship and handling of paint suggest academic training. He may also have learned to make precise topographical drawings at the York Naval Academy. Many of his ship portraits are in the English tradition, notably followers of Samuel Walker, a leading English maritime artist in the 1850s. Like his Liverpool counterparts, Challoner used receding linear and atmospheric perspective to focus on the crisp portraits of specific ships. At their best, his canvases are highly finished, a style that imitates the Venetian tradition of topographical city views associated with Giovanni Antonio Canal, also known as Canaletto. However, Challoner’s restrained bravura paint handling also may bear witness to the influence of the French Impressionists. Challoner seems to have arrived in New Orleans about 1880. He advertised in the press and exhibited at the Creole Art Gallery and Grunewald’s Music Store in New Orleans. In 1887, Challoner moved to San Francisco, where he exhibited his maritime scenes at the Mechanic’s Institute and became a U.S. citizen. He may have been back in New Orleans after 1891, and served as captain of a naval vessel during the Spanish-American War. His art clients tended to be men involved in the shipping industry—ship owners and commission merchants, along with professional clubs and maritime benevolent societies. Challoner’s principal competition in New Orleans was August Norieri, a talented ship portraitist and painter of marines. While Norieri lived hand-to-mouth, Challoner drew a handsome salary working as a ship captain, presumably until shortly before his death at the age of 49. Securing the commission for painting the newly founded New Orleans Yacht Club suggests that Challoner was held in higher regard as an artist than Norieri. The two artists together met the market demand for ship portraiture and marine views in the port city, as had Edward Arnold and James Guy...

Story illustration for “Periwinkle House” by Obie Read, published in The Red Book Magazine, July 1920, page 39. The story is described by Red Book as “A Romance of the Mississippi R...

Medium: original etching. Printed on cream wove paper and published in 1904. Plate size: 4 5/8 x 10 1/2 inches (120 x 265 mm). Signed in the plate; not hand-signed.

This is a lovely oil on canvas painting of a warm evening on a Surrey common. This original painting is circa the 20th Century and is by the English Artist D...

Original vintage poster: Uncle Tom's Cabin. Original lithograph. Museum Linen Backed. Date: c. 1900 Printer: Ackermann-Quigley, Kansas City. This Uncle Tom's Cabin is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation-mounted, linen-backed, and in good condition. A Certificate of Authenticity comes with all of our posters. Ready to frame This poster is for the stage performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin. The man depicted in the image is 'Marks' who was one of the slave clatters in this novel. Harriet Beecher Stowe...

Medium: original lithograph. This impression on chine-colle paper was printed in 1900 and published in Paris by the Revue de l'Art ancien et moderne. Image size: 7 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches...

Medium: Gouache on Illustration Board Signature: Signed Lower Left Sight Size 22.00" x 30.00" Framed 33" x 41 1/2" Excellent condition Original use: Bookplate for Tennyson's A Dream of Fair Women A macabre and dark highly inventive large format gouache illustration painting by Harrison Fisher used as a full color book plate in the 1907 edition of "A Dream of Fair Women" by Lord Alfred Tennyson...

Medium: original etching. This work was printed in 1901 and published by the Revue de l'Art ancien et moderne as an undiscovered Goya etching, but it is now understood to have been e...

Original watercolor by Edward Lamson Henry looking back at barge travel through small New York state towns. Delaware & Hudson Canal, Ellenville N...

signed "A. Lepère" at lower left

'HMS Warspite 50 Guns', English English naval aquatint, with gum arabic highlights, by Edward Duncan after Nicholas Condy. Published by Ackermann & Co. 'Warspite' was built and lau...

Medium: Charcoal on Paper Signature: Signed Lower Left

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...

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...

Thoma, Hans. RATSELRACHEN III (JAWS OF THE RIDDLE III). Etching, 1908 (Beringer 77, second state). 10 3/8 x 9 5/8 inches (200 x 285 mm), image; 11 x 9 3/4 inches (246 x 296 mm.), plate; 18 3/4 x 15 1/4 inches (477 x 390 mm.), sheet. Monogrammed and dated in the plate, signed "Hans Thoma...

Eugène Galiany aka Eugène GALIEN-LALOUE (1854-1941) A delightful pastoral Normandy landscape by the master of this genre Galien-Laloue. Signed E Galiany and presented in a walnut ...

Alfred BRUNET-DEBAINES Le Havre, 1845 – Hyères, 1939 Sidi El Bechir Street in Tunis in 1902 Watercolor and gouache on paper 30 x 23 cm (46 x 39.5 cm with frame) Signed lower right "A...

Highly important German Expressionist etching by Emil Nolde (1867-1956), Hamburg, Reiherstiegdock, 1910. This is a very rare signed and titled etching of Hamburg, Reiherstiegdock, is...

Louis MAJORELLE (Toul 1859 - Nancy 1926) Augustin DAUM (1853 - 1909) Antonin DAUM (1864 - 1930) "Sagittarius" Wall light Extremely rare "plant" wall lamp with two lights, in gilt b...

This stunning Scottish Edwardian exhibited landscape oil painting is by noted Scottish artist John Campbell Mitchell RSA. The location is the Galloway hills and it was painted in 190...

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

Approximate Date: Apr 23, 1903 Medium: Gouache on Board Signature: Signed Lower Right Dimensions: 22.50" x 15.50"

This circa 1900 Art Nouveau advertising poster, designed by Peruvian-born artist Daniel Hernández, is a stunning example of early 20th-century luxury brand marketing. Created for JOB cigarette rolling papers, the advertisement reflects the era’s elegant aesthetics and sophisticated lifestyle appeal. The slogan, "Fumar el papel JOB o dejar de fumar" ("Smoke JOB paper or stop smoking"), emphasizes the brand’s prestige and superior quality, making it seem indispensable for tobacco connoisseurs. The artwork features a sensual and dreamlike composition, characteristic of the Belle Époque. A radiant red-haired woman, partially draped in sheer fabric, lounges in a relaxed pose, smiling seductively as she delicately holds a lit cigarette. The soft pastels, golden hues, and fluid lines create a warm, ethereal atmosphere, reinforcing the romantic and luxurious associations of the JOB brand. The swirling wisps of smoke, artistically integrated into the design, echo the organic, flowing forms typical of Art Nouveau illustration. The ornate green decorative border further enhances the visual richness, framing the central figure like a jewel in an exquisite setting. At the turn of the century, tobacco advertising was at its peak, and brands relied on opulent, aspirational imagery to captivate consumers. JOB, a French rolling paper company founded in the 1830s, became known for collaborating with renowned artists to create highly collectible posters. This particular piece, executed with remarkable softness and luminosity, reflects Hernández’s mastery of portraiture and classical technique, which he refined during his studies in Europe. His ability to capture the sensuality and grace of the female form made him a sought-after artist for both fine art and commercial illustration. Beyond its commercial function, this poster is an important example of the fusion between fine art and advertising, a defining feature of Art Nouveau poster design. It demonstrates how companies in the early 20th century elevated advertising into an art form, commissioning celebrated painters to craft exquisite promotional imagery. Today, original JOB posters...

"Inundation" after Carl Fredrik Kiörrboe - Dogs During a Flood Oil on linen painting of a family of dogs in a flood by an unknown artist, unsigned, after an engraving of the painting...

Medium: lithograph (in smaller size after the original lithograph). This edition was published in Germany by Cassirer ca. 1903, and is now rare. Printed on smooth cream wove paper. I...

Texas County Maps 1870s-1910 Image Size: 37 x 40 Frame Size: 43 x 47 Medium: Original Hand Drawn Ink "Frio County" Texas County Map Early original hand drawn Texas County Maps (1870s...

Original Vintage Poster by the Austrian artist Ferdinand Ludwig Graf, a member of the Hagenbund. This Viennese artist association moved as soon a...

Medium: original lithograph. This impression was printed in 1900 and published in Paris by the Revue de l'Art ancien et moderne. Sheet size: 11 3/8 x 8 1/4 inches (290 x 210 mm). Sig...

"New Growth" by Hudson Valley artist, Peter Hoffman, made in 2020 74 x 9 x 9 inches A Vertical Wooden sculpture created with multiple sections of painted wood segments, cut at angl...

Seagulls by Léo LAPORTE-BLAIRSY (1865-1923) Sculpture made in white Carrara marble signed on the base "Léo Laporte-Blairsy" France circa 1904 height 60 cm width 41 cm depth 25 cm ...

artist: Albert Guillaume Size: 26 x 103. Year: 1900's. Archival linen backed in great condition; ready to frame. The posters of the artist Albert André Guillaume are still today tr...

Signed lower right, 'Arthur B. Davies' for Arthur Bowen Davies (American, 1862-1928) and created circa 1915. An early twentieth-century sugar-lift aquatint showing Zeus in the guise...

Medium: original etching. This impression on laid paper was printed in 1907 and published in Paris by the Revue de l'Art ancien et moderne. Plate size: 6 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches (160 x 24...

Henri RIVIERE (1884-1951) Brittany: The Magic of the Hours, First Quarter, 1901 Original lithograph (Eugène Verneau Printing) Signed on the plate On paper, 68 x 31 cm (c. 27 x 12 in...

Set of four lithographs enhanced with gouache by Maurice Dufrene. Four original plans from "Interieur Moderne d'une Famille Française" by Maurice Dufrene in 1906. These four plans ar...

Woman is an original zincography on paper realized by U. Seifert, in 1905. This Specially Zincography representing a woman's Portrait. The title of the work "Cordelia" and the capti...

Maurice Bouval French Art Nouveau Gilt and Silvered Bronze Figural Vide Poche Cast from a model by Maurice Bouval, cast by Jollet & Cie., Paris, circa 1900 Modeled as a maiden in a ...

Medium: Mixed Media on Board Sight Size 18.50" x 18.00", Framed 21.50" x 21.00" Signature: Signed Lower Left Original cover for Harper's Bazar, published June 1910 One of America's greatest illustrators, Jessie Willcox Smith attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and studied under Thomas Eakins in Philadelphia, graduating in 1888. A year later, she found work in the production department of the Ladies' Home Journal, for five years. After that, she continued her art education with classes under Howard Pyle, first at Drexel and then at the Brandywine School. Smith then established her reputation, illustrating stories and articles for Century, Collier's Weekly, Leslie's Weekly, Harper's, McClure's,Scribner's, and the Ladies' Home Journal. Smith was closely associated with the artists Elizabeth Shippen Green and Violet Oakley, who also studied with Pyle, and the group became known as "the Red Rose Girls...