Bessie Pease Gutmann
Encyclopedia
Bessie Pease Gutmann 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. 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
. Although the commercial popularity of Guttman's art declined during World War II, there was renewed interest in her illustrations from collectors by the late 20th century.
, the daughter of Horace Collins. After graduating from high school, Gutmann studied at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women
. From 1896 to 1898, she attended the The New School
's Parsons School of Design, then named the New York School of Art. She also attended Art Students League of New York
from 1899 to 1901.
by Robert Louis Stevenson
. Gutmann illustrated several more books including a notable 1907 version of Lewis Carroll
's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Gutmann 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. Gutmann's greatest recognition came from her series of hand-colored prints which highlighted the innocence of young children. Two of Gutmann's 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, Gutmann retired from drawing in 1947.
Gutmann died on September 29, 1960 in Centerport, New York at the age of 84.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
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. Her artwork was featured on 22 magazine covers such as Woman's Home Companion
Woman's Home Companion
Woman's Home Companion was an American monthly publication, published from 1873 to 1957. It was highly successful, climbing to a circulation peak of more than four million during the 1930s and 1940s....
and McCall's
McCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
between 1906 and 1920. She also illustrated popular children's books including a notable 1907 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
. Although the commercial popularity of Guttman's art declined during World War II, there was renewed interest in her illustrations from collectors by the late 20th century.
Early life and education
Guttman was born Bessie Collins Pease on April 8, 1876 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, the daughter of Horace Collins. After graduating from high school, Gutmann studied at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women
Philadelphia School of Design for Women
Philadelphia School of Design for Women is a historic building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-References:...
. From 1896 to 1898, she attended the The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
's Parsons School of Design, then named the New York School of Art. She also attended Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
from 1899 to 1901.
Career
Gutmann initially worked as an independent commercial artist drawing portraits and newspapers advertisements. In 1903, Gutmann 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 VersesA Child's Garden of Verses
A Child's Garden of Verses is a collection of poetry for children by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. The collection first appeared in 1885 under the title Penny Whistles, but has been reprinted many times, often in illustrated versions...
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
. Gutmann illustrated several more books including a notable 1907 version of Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Gutmann also created artwork for postcards and calendars, and her art adorned 22 magazine covers for McCall's
McCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
, Collier's, Woman's Home Companion
Woman's Home Companion
Woman's Home Companion was an American monthly publication, published from 1873 to 1957. It was highly successful, climbing to a circulation peak of more than four million during the 1930s and 1940s....
, and Pictorial Review
Pictorial Review
Pictorial Review is a magazine which first appeared in September, 1899. The magazine was originally designed to showcase dress patterns of William Paul Ahnelt's American Fashion Company. By the late 1920s it was one of the largest of the "women's magazines"....
, among others. Gutmann's greatest recognition came from her series of hand-colored prints which highlighted the innocence of young children. Two of Gutmann's 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, Gutmann 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.Gutmann died on September 29, 1960 in Centerport, New York at the age of 84.
Original Editions
- Edmund Vance Cooke, "The Biography of our Baby", New York: Dodge Pub. Co. (1906) OCLC 16631992
- Edith Dunham The Diary of a Mouse , New York: Dodge, 1907. OCLC: 7782667
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, New York: Dodge Pub. Co. (1907) OCLC 8072979; reissued New York: Children's Classics, Crown, (1988) ISBN 0517659611
- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, New York : Dodge Pub. Co., (1909) OCLC 1985760
- Bessie Pease Gutmann, Golden Hours, New York: Hurst & Co., (1912) OCLC 52420265
- Robert Louis Stevenson, A Child's Garden of Verses, New York: Dodge Pub., (1905) OCLC 12388963
Posthumous collections
- Nursery Songs & Lullabies, New York : Grosset & Dunlap, (1990) ISBN 0448234572
- Nursery Poems & Prayers, New York : Grosset & Dunlap, (1990) ISBN 0448234580
- I Love You : Verses & Sweet Sayings, New York : Grosset & Dunlap, (1991) ISBN 0448401436
- My Sweet Girl, Eugene, Or. : Harvest House, (2005) ISBN 0736915168
External links
- The color illustration plates of Bessie Pease Gutmann for the 1907 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland