Bessie Pease Gutmann

Bessie Pease Gutmann
Born (1876-04-08)April 8, 1876
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Died September 29, 1960(1960-09-29) (aged 84)
Nationality American
Education Philadelphia School of Design for Women
Parsons School of Design
Known for Illustration

Bessie Pease Gutmann (April 8, 1876 – September 1929, 1960) was an American artist and illustrator most noted for her paintings of putti, infants and young children. During the early 1900s Gutmann was considered one of the better-known magazine and book illustrators in the United States.[1] Her artwork was featured on 22 magazine covers such as Woman's Home Companion and McCall's between 1906 and 1920. She also illustrated popular children's books including a notable 1907 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.[2] Although the commercial popularity of Gutmann's art declined during World War II, there was renewed interest in her illustrations from collectors by the late 20th century.[3][4]

A page illustration from the 1907 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Early life and education

Gutmann was born Bessie Collins Pease on April 8, 1876 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Horace Collins.[5] After graduating from high school, she studied at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. From 1896 to 1898, she attended the New York School of Art (later Parsons, The New School). She also attended Art Students League of New York from 1899 to 1901.

Career

Gutmann initially worked as an independent commercial artist drawing portraits and newspapers advertisements. In 1903, she gained employment with the publishing firm of Gutmann & Gutmann which specialized in fine art prints. Her first illustration of a children's book, published in 1905, was A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. Gutmann illustrated several more books including a notable 1907 version of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She also created artwork for postcards and calendars, and her art adorned 22 magazine covers for McCall's, Collier's, Woman's Home Companion, and Pictorial Review, among others. Her greatest recognition came from a series of hand-colored prints which highlighted the innocence of young children. Two of her most notable works were A Little Bit of Heaven and The Awakening which both focused on the face and hands of an infant tucked under a blanket. Gutmann's work was popular through the 1920s, but by World War II, interest in her style had declined. Due to failing eyesight, she retired from drawing in 1947.

Personal life

In 1906, Gutmann married Hellmuth Gutmann, one of the brothers who co-owned the publishing firm where she was employed. The couple had three children, Alice, Lucille, and John, who became the models for Gutmann's illustrations.

She died on September 29, 1960 in Centerport, New York at the age of 84.[5]

Illustrated works

Original editions

Posthumous collections

References

  1. ↑ Endres, Kathleen L., and Therese L. Lueck, Women's periodicals in the United States, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995, pp. XIV.
  2. ↑ Strangman, N., "Literary and visual literacy for all: A fourth-grade study of Alice in Wonderland", Reading Online, 6(7), (2003, March).
  3. ↑ Jones, Dolores Blythe, [Building a Special Collection of Children's Literature in Your Library: Identifying, Maintaining, and Sharing Rare Or Collectible Items], ALA Editions, 1998.
  4. ↑ "Bessie Pease Gutmann Lorelei and Wallace Nutting furniture top Ivankovich's March Auction", Antiques & Collecting Magazine, June 1, 1999.
  5. 1 2 Commire, Anne, ed., Something about the Author, Gale Research, 1992, p. 92, ISBN 0-8103-2283-8.

Further reading

External links

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