Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935), Christmas Morning

Jessie Willcox Smith (American, 1863-1935) Christmas Morning Oil and pencil on board 18-1/4 x 15-3/4 inches (46.4 x 40.0 cm) Signed lower left Property from an Important American Illustration Art Collection. The consignor of this lot will donate partial proceeds up to 20% of the hammer price to the Salvation Army in dedication to Ed Jaster. PROVENANCE: Rodman W. Edmiston, Rose Valley, Pennsylvania; Private Collection, Pennsylvania, acquired from the above; Freeman's, New York, June 5, 2022, lot 59; Private collection. Jessie Willcox Smith began her artistic studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, where she studied under Thomas Eakins. She continued as a student of Howard Pyle, initially at Drexel and later at the Brandywine School. Alongside fellow artists Elizabeth Shippen Green and Violet Oakley, who also studied under Pyle, Smith formed a close-knit group known as "The Red Rose Girls." All three went on to successful careers as illustrators, with Smith working steadily for magazines such as Century, Collier's Weekly, Leslie's Weekly, Harper's, McClure's, Scribner's, and Ladies' Home Journal. Her signature subject was the romance of childhood, which is captured perfectly in the present work. Christmas Morning offers a moving example of Jessie Willcox Smith's ideal child: Rosy-cheeked, hair askew from sleep, eagerly reaching into her stocking to reveal what presents Father Christmas brought her. The image is tender, sweet, and immediately relatable. In her art, Smith depicted children as innocent, unblemished, and perpetually perfect, capturing the hearts of millions during her day and enduring as a significant and revered American artist to this day. HID09710052018 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

Condition Report: Framed under glass. Minor abrasions along the extreme edges of the board, not visible in current framing. Two small indentions in the board, one near the heel of the stocking and the other slightly right of the apple. Slightly yellowed varnish. Framed Dimensions 22 X 24 Inches