DESCRIPTION

Original Pencil Drawing by Frederic Gruger (1871 - 1953) for Walter Lang. This stunning pencil drawing is executed in charcoal pencil. An amazing piece of realistic pencil art of a lady in a horse and cart crossing what looks likes a river.

In the top left corner there is a message: "After many years congratulations & best wishes, F.R Gruger to Walter Lang

Frederic Gruger, perhaps best known for his work for Saturday Evening Post, is counted among the Whos Who of American illustrators.

He was considered to be one illustrator who began a new trend, and his work had a strong influence on many other illustrators. Arthur W. Brown (1881-1966) once wrote that to Henry Raleigh, H.J. Mowat, and himself, Gruger was their hero during the Golden Era of Illustration, the decade from 1910 to 1920. His compositions were monumental even in miniature. His characters were part of the story and believable. Another illustrator strongly influenced by the point of view of Gruger was Ernest Fuhr (1874-1933).

This piece was purchased from the estate of the esteemed director Walter Lang.

Lang had ambitions to be a painter and left the United States for a time to join the great gathering of artists and writers in the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris, France. Things did not work out as Lang hoped and he eventually returned home and to the film business

In 1925, Walter Lang directed his first silent film, The Red Kimono. In the mid-1930s, he was hired by 20th Century Fox where, as a director, he "painted" a number of the spectacular colorful musicals for which Fox Studios became famous for producing during the 1940s. One of Lang's most recognized films is his 1956 epic The King and I for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Directing.

For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Walter Lang has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6520 Hollywood Blvd.


MEASUREMENTS

Frame measures 24.25“ long by 25.25“ wide by 1" thick and weighs 6lb 9oz
Pencil drawing measurements: 15" by 15"

CONDITION

The pencil art is in good condition with signs of use commensurate with age with some staining to the surround board to the sketch (please see all pictures as they form part of the condition description)

Shop Ref: Box No. Art Shelf

Condition Disclosure
All our items are vintage/antiques and most have had decades of use. A buyer of vintage objects should assume a baseline of wear. I am always honest and clear in my descriptions and always endeavor to point out any flaws to avoid disappointment but I cannot disclose every minute sign of use on our items as it would be impossible to do so. You should assume these are present unless we specify otherwise here at the beginning of the condition report.

I show all angles of the item on photographs so please review the pictures as they should be considered part of the description. Please ask questions before bidding/buying if you have any concerns, I want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase. Any questions will be answered as quickly as possible. If I have made a mistake in my description I am always happy to rectify this so please do let me know if you believe this is the case.