(Children's Literature, Victorian Illustration, Fine Art) GREENAWAY, Kate. SUSAN, MARY, EMILY AN ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR DRAWING.
[No place]: Kate Greenaway, circa 1880. Signed with the artist's initials in lower left. The drawing is elegantly matted to 9-7/16" x 7-5/16" within a custom antique exhibition frame measuring 16-1/2" x 14-1/2". The physical condition of the artwork is graded (9/10) - EXCELLENT (utilizing a standardized 10-point scale for photographic prints and original works of art, indicating mild condition issues that are barely perceptible to the naked eye).
Whimsical Aesthetic of the Late Victorian Countryside and Intimate Family Association
This exceptional original drawing beautifully captures the idealized, nostalgic world that made Kate Greenaway an international cultural phenomenon. Executed with Greenaway's signature translucent washes, meticulous line work, and soft palette, the composition depicts three young girls standing in a vibrant field carpeted with daisies, shaded by the delicate, outstretched branches of an overhead fruit tree in full vernal bloom, with a classic English country cottage nestled into the rolling background. The piece boasts an unusually intimate glimpse into the artist's personal life and working methods: preserved on the original backing board, faintly but discernibly written, is the signature of John Greenaway (Kate’s beloved brother, sub-editor, and trusted artistic advisor) along with the contemporary identification of the three young subjects as "Susan," "Mary," and "Emily." Notably, the central figure of Mary represents one of Kate Greenaway’s absolute favorite and most frequently utilized models, whose distinct features anchor some of the artist's most iconic published greeting cards and book illustrations from the 1880s.
Frame Craftsmanship and Provenance from the Landmark Schiller Collection
Adding immense crossover appeal for fine art connoisseurs is the original frame backing, which retains the historical paste label (mount stamp) for "W. Holland / Frame Maker & Mount Cutter / 12, Sherwood St." Historical directories from the National Portrait Gallery in London document William Holland operating at this specific Sherwood Street address between 1896 and 1914. Holland was a highly elite artisan favored by the upper echelon of the London art scene, most notably James McNeill Whistler, who heavily relied on Holland’s workshop during this exact window and praised him in personal correspondence for having "laid down my water colour capitally." The provenance of this painting is impeccable, having emerged from the landmark December 16, 2020 Heritage Auction, "Once Upon a Time... Rare Children's Literature from Justin G. Schiller, Ltd." (Lot 45152). Original, fully-realized watercolor drawings by Kate Greenaway—particularly those featuring named favorite models and carrying esteemed institutional provenance—remain among the most fiercely contested treasures in the market of nineteenth-century illustration art.
A MATCHLESS, SIGNED ORIGINAL VICTORIAN MASTERPIECE BRIDGING THE HISTORY OF CHILDHOOD LITERARY ICONOGRAPHY AND ELITE LONDON GALLERY CRAFTSMANSHIP, REPRESENTING A CRITICAL ACQUISITION FOR INSTITUTIONAL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OR EXTRAORDINARY PRIVATE COLLECTIONS DEVOTED TO THE LIFE AND WORK OF KATE GREENAWAY, VICTORIAN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, OR NINETEENTH-CENTURY ILLUSTRATION ART.
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