{"product_id":"original-kate-greenaway-watercolor-painting-susan-mary-emily","title":"Susan, Mary, Emily: A Superb Original Watercolor Drawing by Kate Greenaway","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12\"\u003eGreenaway, Kate. Susan, Mary, Emily: A Superb Original Watercolor Drawing by Kate Greenaway. [No place]: Kate Greenaway, circa 1880. \u003cstrong\u003eSIGNED WITH THE ARTIST'S INITIALS\u003c\/strong\u003e lower left. The drawing is elegantly matted to 7-5\/16\" x 9-7\/16\" within a custom antique exhibition frame measuring 14-1\/2\" x 16-1\/2\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"13\"\u003eA pristine, museum-quality masterwork from the golden age of English children's illustration. The condition of the watercolor drawing is \u003cstrong\u003eFINE\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"14\"\u003eWhimsical Aesthetic of the Late Victorian Countryside\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"15\"\u003eThis exceptional original drawing beautifully captures the idealized, nostalgic world that made Kate Greenaway an international cultural phenomenon. 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. Executed with Greenaway's signature translucent washes, meticulous line work, and soft palette, this painting stands as a definitive representation of her celebrated Pre-Raphaelite influenced style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"16\"\u003eIntimate Family Association and Model Identification\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"17\"\u003eThe 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 \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"17\" data-index-in-node=\"194\"\u003eJohn Greenaway\u003c\/b\u003e (Kate’s beloved brother, sub-editor, and trusted artistic advisor) along with the contemporary identification of the three young subjects as \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"17\" data-index-in-node=\"350\"\u003e\"Susan,\" \"Mary,\" and \"Emily.\"\u003c\/b\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"18\"\u003eWhistler-Associated Frame Craftsmanship by William Holland\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"19\"\u003eAdding immense crossover appeal for fine art connoisseurs is the original frame backing, which retains the historical paste label (mount stamp) for \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"19\" data-index-in-node=\"148\"\u003e\"W. Holland \/ Frame Maker \u0026amp; Mount Cutter \/ 12, Sherwood St.\"\u003c\/b\u003e Historical directories from the National Portrait Gallery (London) document William Holland operating at this specific Sherwood Street address between 1896 and 1914.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"20\"\u003eHolland was a highly elite artisan favored by the upper echelon of the London art scene; most famously, \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"20\" data-index-in-node=\"104\"\u003eJames McNeill Whistler\u003c\/b\u003e heavily relied on Holland’s workshop during this exact window. In 1896, Whistler famously lauded Holland in his personal correspondence for having \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"20\" data-index-in-node=\"274\"\u003e\"laid down my water colour capitally,\"\u003c\/i\u003e continuing to employ him for his most prestigious gallery framing accounts. The presence of this mount stamp suggests this Greenaway watercolor was prized and formally framed by a premier London collector at the turn of the century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"21\"\u003ePrestigious Schiller Collection Pedigree\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"22\"\u003eThe provenance of this painting is impeccable, having emerged from the landmark December 16, 2020 Heritage Auction, \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"22\" data-index-in-node=\"116\"\u003eOnce Upon a Time... Rare Children's Literature from Justin G. Schiller, Ltd.\u003c\/i\u003e (Lot 45152). Schiller is widely recognized as the pioneering dean of historical children's literature antiquarianism, and items from his private gallery holdings represent the pinnacle of bibliographic and aesthetic curation. 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 19th-century illustration art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"23\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"23\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eA MATCHLESS, SIGNED ORIGINAL VICTORIAN MASTERPIECE BRIDGING THE HISTORY OF CHILDHOOD LITERARY ICONOGRAPHY AND ELITE LONDON GALLERY CRAFTSMANSHIP.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e# 001107\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wallace \u0026 Clark, Booksellers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41856292913301,"sku":"001107","price":19750.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0459\/2589\/2245\/products\/susanmaryemily.01.20220128.jpg?v=1643433669","url":"https:\/\/wallaceandclark.com\/products\/original-kate-greenaway-watercolor-painting-susan-mary-emily","provider":"Wallace \u0026 Clark, Booksellers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}