GARTH WILLIAMS, (AMERICAN 1912-1996)
Graphite on Vellum, art by sight is, 8.5″ X 5.5″, Framed to 17.5″ x 14.25″
from Bread and Butter Journey
A story written by Anne Colver and illustrated by Garth Williams about the adventures of a little girl as she travels with her mother and brothers across the Alleghenies to join Father on a new homestead in Western Pennsylvania.
A stunning original final artwork by Garth Williams for Bread and Butter Journey. The art is rendered in graphite on heavy tracing paper/vellum. A warm, very detailed, yet very soft illustration of a family traveling in harsh weather (one can see a boy guiding a horse with a woman all bundled up riding the back of the horse, and a young child walking alongside holding the reins. In the foreground, under the protection of a rock crevice, are three native Americans’ sitting near a pot of food cooking over a campfire. Williams does an amazing job depicting the harsh scene. Beautifully signed in full signature by Garth Williams “Garth Williams”, lower margin of the art. Just an exquisite piece. The artwork in this series were all chosen to be rendered in graphite (instead of ink), to create more of a soft image.
PROVENANCE: The art was purchased from an auction house, who in turn acquired these pieces direct from the estate of Garth Williams. Each piece is an original and sold directly from his estate. A copy of the original invoice will be included with each piece, and will provide both provenance and authenticity for the art. The piece is signed in full signature by Garth Williams, lower margin.
The art is in excellent condition and would be stunning framed.
**Garth Williams was a prominent illustrator of several of the most prominent children’s books including Stuart Little (1945), Charlotte’s Web (1952), The Cricket In Times Square, and The Rescuers (1959). Many of his original illustrations from these book have sold attaining high premiums, including his original illustration of the dust jacket for Charlotte’s Web which realized $155,000 at auction in 2010, and between $10,000 and $75,000 for original artwork of the interior pages. Other notable auction pricing of Williams original illustrations include sales of the original artwork for the interior pages of Stuart Little which also averaged in the $15,000 range per piece.
