Original watercolor of a curly-haired child in blue, seated on a stool beside a table with hands in prayer; signed lower left by Gutmann.
Framed watercolor of a praying child, with title "Thank You, God" and artist's handwritten memorial dedication on the surrounding mat.
Close-up of Bessie Pease Gutmann's three-step handwritten signature with copyright symbol on the lower corner of art.
Close-up of handwritten inscription on mat: "Given in Loving Memory of, Hellmuth Gutmann, By Bessie P. Gutmann."
  • Load image into Gallery viewer, Original watercolor of a curly-haired child in blue, seated on a stool beside a table with hands in prayer; signed lower left by Gutmann.
  • Load image into Gallery viewer, Framed watercolor of a praying child, with title "Thank You, God" and artist's handwritten memorial dedication on the surrounding mat.
  • Load image into Gallery viewer, Close-up of Bessie Pease Gutmann's three-step handwritten signature with copyright symbol on the lower corner of art.
  • Load image into Gallery viewer, Close-up of handwritten inscription on mat: "Given in Loving Memory of, Hellmuth Gutmann, By Bessie P. Gutmann."

Thank You, God: An Original Watercolor Painting by Bessie Pease Gutmann

$20,000.00
$20,000.00
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(American Art / Original Artwork / Children in Art) GUTMANN, Bessie Pease. "THANK YOU, GOD": AN ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR PAINTING BY BESSIE PEASE GUTMANN.

Circa 1950. Original charcoal pencil drawing with watercolor wash on paper. Sight dimensions within mat measure 19-1/2" H x 14-1/2" W; housed in a period simple wooden frame measuring 27" H x 21" W. Signed by the artist at lower left with her characteristic three-step signature alongside the copyright symbol. Inscribed by hand at the bottom-center of the overmat with the title "THANK YOU, GOD," and further inscribed at the lower right: "Given in Loving Memory of, Hellmuth Gutmann, By Bessie P. Gutmann." Accompanied by an original letter of authentication from Dr. Victor J. W. Christie, official Gutmann family biographer and recognized authority.

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). The artwork retains vibrant tonal balance and color execution without visible foxing or degradation. The period presentation frame and overmat show light handling and age-appropriate toning.

Mid-Twentieth-Century American Commercial Illustration and Devotional Iconography

Bessie Pease Gutmann (1876–1960) stands among the most celebrated commercial illustrators of early-to-mid twentieth-century America, famed for her evocative and sympathetic portrayals of childhood innocence. "Thank You, God" represents one of Gutmann's most universally recognized devotional compositions, capturing a young child with hands folded in quiet prayer. While millions of mid-century American households knew this image through mass-market prints, collector plates, and ceramic figurines, this specific work represents the original hand-executed creation. Created as a memorial to her late husband, Hellmuth Gutmann, the piece carries profound personal significance. It hung in a place of prominence at the Presbyterian Church of Toms River, New Jersey for over fifty years following its direct donation by the artist, offering an unbroken line of provenance backed by expert authentication from official family biographer Dr. Victor J. W. Christie.

Institutional Scarcity and Market Rarity of Original Gutmann Works

While mass-market print reproductions of Gutmann's illustrations remain ubiquitous, original mixed-media works and finished paintings by her hand are extraordinarily scarce on the open market. The vast majority of her original creations reside permanently in private family holdings or institutional museum collections, leaving virtually no original exhibition-grade compositions available to private trade.

THIS MUSEUM-QUALITY ORIGINAL PAINTING BY BESSIE PEASE GUTMANN, FEATURING UNBROKEN PROVENANCE AND FORMAL FAMILY AUTHORIZATION, REPRESENTS A CRITICAL ACQUISITION FOR INSTITUTIONAL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OR EXTRAORDINARY PRIVATE COLLECTIONS DEVOTED TO THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION, TWENTIETH-CENTURY FINE ART, OR DEVOTIONAL ICONOGRAPHY.

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