Seated Girl with Dog by Harrison Fisher

Seated Girl with Dog by Harrison Fisher

Created in 1908, published in 1910

Color Lithograph

This elegant watercolor and ink illustration by the prominent American illustrator Harrison Fisher is a striking representation of early 20th-century fashion portraiture and the provocative allure of the idealized Edwardian woman. Signed and dated 1908 near the bottom left, the piece depicts a full-length portrait of a stylish young woman seated on a turned wooden armchair against a muted gray background. She faces forward with an animated expression, lightly resting her fingertips against her chin and jawline. Her voluminous, dark hair is styled in a classic Edwardian pompadour updo, framing her face. She wears a striking, long satin gown in a pale champagne or yellow hue, featuring a tightly corseted waist, a draped V-neckline with white trim, and a voluminous skirt that cascades onto the floor in heavy, shimmering folds. To her right, a small, fluffy black Pomeranian dog stands on its hind legs, looking up toward her playfully. The central image is beautifully preserved on a heavy cream paper stock, encased within an ornate, blind-debossed geometric and floral border that enhances its presentation as a collectible print.

Born in Brooklyn to a multi-generational family of artists, Harrison Fisher (1875 to 1934) trained at the San Francisco Art Association before rising to absolute prominence in New York as a master magazine illustrator. Alongside contemporaries like Charles Dana Gibson and Howard Chandler Christy, Fisher defined the commercial aesthetic of the 1910s and 1920s, ultimately creating nearly every cover for Cosmopolitanmagazine from 1913 until his death. This specific 1908 piece is a prime, early example of his celebrated "Fisher Girl," the animated, graceful, and fashionable archetype that became the ultimate epitome of American female beauty during the pre-war period. This series of images captures the transition of Edwardian high fashion into mainstream media, demonstrating Fisher’s remarkable ability to illustrate intricate contemporary textiles, like sheer veils and bold plaids, with immense commercial appeal. Furthermore, given that a relative tragically burned approximately 800 of Fisher's original paintings upon his death, surviving period prints and originals from this peak era remain vital, scarce visual records of early 20th-century American illustration history.

Dimensions: H 10 ¾” x 7 ¼” W

Condition: In very good condition