Charles Dana Gibson -- Love (Circa 1901)

What a great way to start off the new year! From the pen and ink master who brought us the "Gibson Girl," a real beauty of an art nouveau image. Charles Dana Gibson was considered a virtuoso with the pen, and his Gibson Girl images defined the American ideal of femininity at the turn of the century. Gibson's published work was everywhere in the early 1900s and he was a household name, but his work was always collected so it is hard to find nice pieces for sale. I couldn't be happier to have come across this one! Although this piece is untitled, the woman's right hand is forming the universal sign for the word "love," thus the title I am giving it. Although not dated, it is signed prominently along the bottom with a great Gibson signature.