Fantastic BILLY DEBECK Self-Caricature - Drawn for Will Gould - 1932

Billy DeBeck (1890-1942) needs no introduction to the crowd on my mailing list. Short and sweet: the creator Barney Google was one of the greatest cartoonists of the 20th century. He created memorable characters, slang and sayings, all with a beautiful and active line derived straight from Phil May and Charles Dana Gibson. In fact, those were the two artists DeBeck had a young Fred Lasswell study and copy. As I continue to pare down my collection, I’m offering up possibly the largest Billy DeBeck self-portrait in the wild. I’m nearly positive that this drawing sports the largest DeBeck signature you’ll ever find! DeBeck did this pencil drawing for his good friend Will Gould in 1932. It features Billy himself at the drawing board, with an adorable pup holding a piece of paper in its mouth. The pencil lines are bolt and beautiful, with all the touches that make a DeBeck drawing what it is. This drawing measures 14”x 11”. You can see the overall toning in the piece, along with three very light areas of staining at the edges. As usual, my scanner amplifies these stains. They are barely noticeable, especially with the boldness of the drawing. The drawing ain’t cheap, but it is truly the capstone to any DeBeck collection. $750.00 + $17.00 first class shipping. Fee-free payment only on this one.