Lillian Gish
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Accession Number
NPG.93.271
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this charming 1937 drawing, American illustrator Eric Pape captures the timeless elegance of Lillian Gish the iconic "First Lady of the Silent Screen." just a year before Pape's death, the portrait depicts Gish outdoors amid whimsical details—a basket, bow, sash, hat, and bicycle—evoking a sense of playful leisure that contrasts her storied career in film and theater. As a master of magazine illustrations and theater posters, Pape's fluid line work highlights Gish's delicate features and poised grace, rendering her as both a Hollywood legend and an enduring stage actress. The artwork's his...