Art Deco Original Watercolor Costume Sketch by Mabel E. Johnston (one of six)

Fine Art : Paintings

 

Submitted for your consideration is a dazzling watercolor of a costume sketch by Mabel E. Johnston from the 1920’s. Mabel Johnson studied art in Philadelphia and in New York and she was considered to be one of the top costume designers of the Broadway Stage during the roaring twenties. Her work was seen in the Ziegfield Follies, Earl Carroll’s Vanities of 1928, Animal Crackers, Cross My Heart, and Hold Everything. We were fortunate to acquire six of her original costume designs from the Park Avenue apartment of an editor of a major fashion magazine and her Broadway composer husband and this is one drawing from that suite.

This is a most interesting piece. The style is surrealistic, evoking the work of Salvatore Dali. The shapely female figure hints at nudity and we suspect that this is the costume of a dancer as she is raised on her toes, striking an elegant pose. A garish cube that is reminiscent of a child’s jack in the box toy covers her head and face. The bright colors of the grotesque image on the cube contrasts with the somber tones of her slate gray form. We see a series of streamers emerge from this covering that cascade down the front and back of her body, some of which are being held in her hand. We can envision a chorus line of lovely young dancers, all costumed in this attire, providing the star with a backdrop of haunting images. This is a costume worthy of the finest Fat Tuesday celebration in New Orleans during Mardi Gras!

Please recognize that this is not a print. It is a one of a kind pencil sketch that the designer has then water colored as a final step before creating the costume. If you look closely you can see the pencil strokes that formed the initial draft. The piece is signed in the bottom corner of the drawing with the flourish of an artist palette that was a characteristic emblem of this designer. Given its age, and the fact that this was a working drawing used to help seamstresses sew together the dress, this work of art is in remarkably good shape. It is encased in a custom rich burled walnut wood frame with black lacquered edges and double matted with a black external and blue internal matte. The frame shows some slight signs of wear, but this does not detract from the gestalt of the work and it actually enhances the vision of a beautiful vintage piece. The framed work measures 21.5" x 17.5". We have included a photo of an article in the September 1929 issue of Dance Magazine which extols the talents of Ms. Johnston.

All six of the works that we are offering decorated one large wall in the luxurious Manhattan apartment that was their home, but while they would make for a stunning wall grouping, each one can certainly stand on its own as a striking work of art.

Item ID: RL-5062