Creator
William Koerner
Title
Gillette Posing as Sherlock Holmes
Date
Dec. 29, 1902
Subject
Unpublished original artwork
Description
William “Big Bill” Koerner (1878–1938) was a prominent artist best known for his Wild West drawings and paintings. He illustrated three books by Zane Grey and produced covers and story artwork for the Saturday Evening Post, Harper’s, McClure’s Magazine, American Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, and more. Reputedly done from life and never published, this artwork is mysterious. Whom was it produced for? Why wasn’t it published? Was it the inspiration for the Lyceum poster, or was it a study done from the poster? Or was it a copy of a similar drawing by Pixie Smith that was used in the 1900 souvenir program for the play? And why is so precise a time and date part of Koerner’s signature?
Source
Signed “Koerner, 5:30 p.m., Dec. 29, 1902”
Format
Ink and crayon on paper, 9 × 12 in