This March, we honor Women’s History Month by celebrating the extraordinary talent of female illustrators who brought beloved books by women authors to life. We’re particularly thrilled to present an exciting new acquisition: Sarah Stilwell Weber’s original cover illustration for Alice Turner Curtis’s A Little Maid of Virginia, from Turner’s popular “Little Maid” series of historical fiction. This freshly identified painting depicts two young girls reading an illustrated book, one tenderly cradling a doll. It’s a charming portrayal of childhood innocence, rendered with Weber’s characteristic warmth.
We’re also proud to feature the beloved Jessie Willcox Smith, whose artwork is well represented in our collection, with 40 pieces currently available. A highlight is her charming full-color illustration for a 1915 edition of Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic Little Women.
Louisa May Alcott, the celebrated 19th-century author, crafted relatable stories about the lives of young women, making her characters ideal subjects for the leading female illustrators of the early 20th century. These artists were commissioned by Little, Brown and Company to illustrate their editions of Alcott’s works. Our collection showcases two original illustrations by Ellen Wetherald Ahrens for Jo’s Boys, the sequel to Little Women, as well as two original illustrations by Alice Barber Stephens for Alcott’s coming-of-age novel Under the Lilacs. We also feature additional illustrations by Jessie Willcox Smith for An Old Fashioned Girl by Alcott, and a delightful depiction of Heidi from Johanna Spyri’s renowned novel.
It’s worth noting that all the artists featured—Sarah Stilwell Weber, Jessie Willcox Smith, Ellen Wetherald Ahrens, and Alice Barber Stephens—shared a significant connection: they were all students of the influential Howard Pyle, widely regarded as the “father of American illustration.”
We invite you to explore our comprehensive Women Artists genre collection, which includes over 150 original illustrations. To stay informed about new acquisitions by women artists, simply browse the collection and click “Add Genre To Your Want List” at the top of the page to receive automated email alerts.
Jessie Willcox Smith
Jessie Willcox Smith was one of the most popular illustrators of the twentieth century, and her work graced the pages of children’s books and leading publications like Ladies’ Home Journal, Collier’s, and Good Housekeeping. Though Smith never married and had no children of her own, she had a keen ability to render sensitive depictions of children, adeptly capturing their subtle expressions and gestures to form a poetic and romanticized vision of childhood.
In 1900, Jessie Willcox Smith was commissioned by Little, Brown and Company to illustrate Helen Leah Reed’s Brenda, Her School and Club and its sequel, Brenda’s Summer at Rockley. These sentimental stories, aimed at pre-teen readers, allowed Smith to portray contemporary subjects, and the artist used her young female acquaintances as models.
This charcoal drawing captures the moment where Julia is invited into the mysterious Madame du Launy’s home for tea. The accompanying caption, “Now as Julia sat there drinking tea from the quaintest of old-fashioned china cups, and eating slices of thin bread and butter, and cakes that almost melted in her mouth, she could not help wondering what her friends and her cousin would say to see her actually seated in the house which most of them considered absolutely impossible to enter,” vividly conveys Julia’s sense of wonder and the intrigue surrounding Madame du Launy’s grand residence.
This charming depiction of Heidi introduces the beloved protagonist of Johanna Spyri’s heartwarming story, first published in 1880-81. The tale follows the adventures of a young orphan girl who is sent to live with her reclusive grandfather in the Swiss Alps. This original charcoal and watercolor drawing was created for the 1922 David McKay Company edition, which marks Jessie Willcox Smith’s final major illustrated children’s book where she specifically designed the illustrations for the text. She created ten full-page color illustrations and numerous delicate colored line drawings, such as this one, to enrich the narrative.
Here, we see an overheated Heidi shedding her many layers of clothing as she ascends a narrow mountain path towards her grandfather’s home. Spyri’s narrative describes the child’s attire: “for in spite of the hot June sun the child was clothed as if to keep off the bitterest frost…she had apparently two, if not three dresses, one above the other, and over these a thick red woollen shawl wound round about her.”
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, a popular book since its first publication in 1868, continues to captivate readers of all ages. This colorful illustration captures a tender moment from the story, depicting Beth March at the piano in Mr. Laurence’s grand house. The full caption reads: “The great drawing room was haunted by a tuneful spirit that came and went unseen.”
Jessie Willcox Smith masterfully portrays Beth’s introverted nature, emphasizing her deep concentration on the piano. Music, as Alcott describes, provides Beth with a sense of confidence and joy, allowing her to transcend her shyness. It becomes “like the voice of a beloved friend,” offering her a refuge and a source of profound delight.
In 1900, Jessie Willcox Smith lent her artistic talents to Sarah Cauffman Sill’s Reminiscences of the Old Chest of Drawers, a beautifully crafted book published by J.B. Lippincott Company. The book featured six full-page black and white plates, as well as line drawings by Smith. While the book’s distribution was limited, the project served as a valuable opportunity for Smith to expand her artistic range and demonstrate her versatility.
This charcoal illustration depicts figures traversing a road alongside a quaint village. The accompanying caption, “Where nothing was seen but the Quaker gown,” adds an intriguing narrative layer to the scene.
Two Illustrations for Louisa May Alcott’s An Old-Fashioned Girl
In 1901, Little, Brown and Company, impressed by her work on the Brenda books, commissioned Jessie Willcox Smith to illustrate Louisa May Alcott’s An Old-Fashioned Girl. This beloved story, first published in 1869, follows Polly Milton, a country girl navigating the sophisticated world of her wealthy city friends, the Shaws. Polly’s humble character stands in contrast to the Shaws’ superficial lifestyle, and despite feeling initially overwhelmed, she ultimately exerts a positive influence on their emotional lives and family relationships.
Already a celebrated classic, An Old-Fashioned Girl presented Smith with a great opportunity, and she created twelve charcoal illustrations for the new edition.
One particularly engaging illustration depicts the children’s visit to the family’s elderly matriarch. Polly, with her characteristic curiosity, begins exploring an old cabinet, drawing out cherished relics. She sits attentively at the grandmother’s feet, listening to the grandmother’s captivating stories about each object. The other children, initially disinterested, are soon drawn into the grandmother’s reminiscences, a moment Polly cherishes. She understands the joy it brings the lonely old woman to relive her past and share her treasured memories. In this scene, Polly inquires about a delicate, aged glove, which, as it turns out, once belonged to the gallant Frenchman, Marquis Lafayette. The accompanying caption, “‘I choose this,’ said Polly, holding up a long white kid glove, shrunken and yellow with time, but looking as if it had a history,” perfectly captures the scene’s nostalgic charm.
An amusing illustration captures young Tom, seeking attention, as he mischievously explores his sister Fanny’s room. He ransacks her already untidy bureau, trying on dresses, jewelry, perfumes, and even false curls. Delighted with his playful transformation, he attempts to go downstairs to embarrass Fanny in front of her friends before Polly intervenes by locking him in the room. Alcott humorously describes Tom’s antics, noting, “The ravages committed by this bad boy are beyond the power of language to describe, as he revelled in the interesting drawers, boxes, and cases, which held his sister’s treasures.” The illustration’s caption, “He surveyed himself with satisfaction,” perfectly encapsulates Tom’s self-amused delight.
Ellen Wetherald Ahrens
Ellen Wetherald Ahrens, a Baltimore native, pursued a rigorous artistic education, beginning at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and continuing under the tutelage of Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She further refined her skills under Howard Pyle at the Drexel Institute. Ahrens briefly worked in the studio of the esteemed Red Rose Girls, located in the Love Building in Philadelphia, but was never formally part of the group. Her legacy is marked by notable book illustrations, particularly for the 1906 edition of Louisa May Alcott’s Jo’s Boys. Beyond illustration, Ahrens demonstrated her versatility through stained glass designs and portrait miniatures. She was a founding member of the Plastic Club, a pioneering women’s art club in Philadelphia established in 1897, and a member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Club.
Two Illustrations for Louisa May Alcott’s Jo’s Boys
Little, Brown and Company commissioned Ellen Wetherald Ahrens to produce illustrations for their 1903 edition of Louisa May Alcott’s Jo’s Boys, and How They Turned Out. This sequel to Little Men takes place ten years later, and concludes the unofficial Little Women trilogy. Readers are once again welcomed to Plumfield, the New England school presided over by Jo and her husband, Professor Bhaer. Jo remains the central figure of the story, as she guides and nurtures a new generation of boys.
This original charcoal illustration depicts Tom following the unexpected announcement of his engagement to Dora. Their betrothal, a comical result of a bicycle accident and Tom’s subsequent comforting gestures misinterpreted as a proposal, amuses Jo, who sees it as a positive development for him. The accompanying caption, “It was comical to see the airs our Thomas put on; for the most ludicrous parts of the affair were kindly buried in oblivion by the few who knew them, and Tom burst forth as a full-blown hero who had rescued the maiden from a watery grave, and won her gratitude and love by his daring deed,” perfectly conveys the humorous and transformative nature of the situation.
This original charcoal illustration portrays a tender moment where Demi discovers that Alice is wearing his gifted rose, a silent declaration of her reciprocated affection. The song Alice plays on the piano subtly conveys her desire to wait until they are a little older to begin their future together.
The illustration is captioned: “As she bent to turn a page, the eager young man behind the piano saw the rose and was struck speechless with delight,” aptly capturing the sentimentality of the scene.
Alice Barber Stephens
Alice Barber Stephens was a highly accomplished and versatile artist, excelling as an engraver, painter, and illustrator, she was one of the most prolific women artists of the early 20th century. She honed her skills at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art) and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where she studied under Thomas Eakins. Stephens’s illustrations regularly appeared in popular magazines, and she illustrated a number of important books, including notable works by Louisa May Alcott and Nathaniel Hawthorne. She was a dedicated educator and one of the founding members of The Plastic Club, an arts organization for women. Known for her skilled draftsmanship, Stephens also demonstrated an exceptional ability in rendering black-and-white illustrations for print.
Alice Barber Stephens was commissioned by Little, Brown and Company to produce illustrations for their 1906 edition of Janet: Her Winter in Quebec by Anna Chapin Ray. In the book, financial troubles compel the Leslie family to take in boarders, the affluent Argyles from New York. This sets the stage for complex friendships between their children: Day and Rob Argyle, and Ronald and Janet Leslie. Initially strained by misunderstandings, these bonds ultimately deepen and strengthen over time.
The illustration depicts Ronald’s discovery of Janet, bundled in blankets and awaiting his arrival. The scene portrays Janet’s hesitant confession of her role in instigating a feud with the Argyles. While remorseful, she struggles to apologize, and her reluctance is emphasized by the illustration’s caption, ‘Now that her chance was come, Janet seemed loath to speak,’ which reveals her internal conflict.
Two Illustrations for Louisa May Alcott’s Under The Lilacs
Little, Brown and Company commissioned Alice Barber Stephens to illustrate their 1906 edition of Louisa May Alcott’s children’s book Under The Lilacs, which was first published as a serialized story in St. Nicholas magazine in 1877-78. This heartwarming novel tells the story of twelve-year-old Ben, a runaway circus performer seeking his missing father. He finds unexpected refuge with the Moss family and their neighbors, who offer him the stability he longs for. The narrative unfolds through his summer adventures with friends Bab and Betty Moss, culminating in a joyous reunion with his father. Stephens’s charcoal illustrations highlight her masterful draftsmanship, a skill she honed as a wood engraver for Scribner’s.
This dramatic illustration, serving as the frontispiece for the text, depicts sisters Bab and Betty Moss having a tea party with their dolls when a mischievous canine interrupts their festivities and, to the girls’ dismay, steals their prized cake. The sisters later find that the dog is named Sancho and belongs to Ben, who has been living in their coach-house.
The accompanying caption, “A strange dog was sitting calmly among the ruins of the feast,” perfectly captures the chaotic nature of the moment.
On Ben’s thirteenth birthday, a festive archery competition is held. Ben and Bab are the top contenders, with Bab deliberately missing her final shot to let Ben win, demonstrating her generosity. Ben, feeling it was a near tie, offers her the winning ribbon, which she accepts. The adults observing the interaction commend both children’s character, highlighting Bab’s generous spirit and Ben’s sense of fairness. The full caption reads: “She stepped to her place and fired without taking her usual careful aim.”