Pastel on board - Saturday Evening Post Cover, Evening Gown May 21st, 1938 - Reproduced version looks better because the Saturday Evening Post Art Director retouched the plates before printing and strengthened the colors to give it more newsstand appeal - From Wiki : as an American illustrator and portrait painter who studied at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago and Art Students League of New York. She began her career as an illustrator and during World War I, she traveled across France entertaining military troops with Anita P. Wilcox and Jane Bulley and made posters to support the war effort. She was made an honorary non-commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps for her contributions to the war effort.
Neysa McMein , American, 1888–1949
Pastel on Board - 29 - 27 inches - US$175,000 Plus Shipping
McMein was a successful illustrator of magazine covers, advertisements, and magazine articles for national publications, like McClure's, McCall's, The Saturday Evening Post, and Collier's. McMein created the portrait of a fictional housewife "Betty Crocker" for General Mills. She was also a successful portrait painter who painted the portraits of presidents, actors, and writers.
Algonquin Round Table members were entertained at her West 57th Street studio, where she was known for her active parties. Life magazine wrote an article about adult party games, which featured stories about McMein's parties. She had an open marriage to John G. Baragwanath, during which she had affairs with Charlie Chaplin and George Abbott. Baragwanath described their marriage as a successful one based upon a deep friendship.
She was inducted into the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame in 1984, 35 years after her death. McMein was one of 20 Society of Illustrators' artists to have their work published on a United States Postal Service Collectible Stamp sheet in 2001.
