Vintage - The Wild Swans, Postcard

A vintage children's book illustration by Elenore Abbott from the story "The Wild Swans" from a 1922 edition of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales. The illustration features a beautiful young woman with long blonde braids sitting in the grass surrounded by white swans, each wearing a tiny gold crown. The artist, Elenore Abbot (1875-1935) was born in Lincoln, Maine and was an American illustrator, scenic designer for the theatre, and painter of landscapes and portraits. She created illustrations for books and magazines including children’s books. One of Elenore’s biggest influences was artist Howard Pyle whom she studied under in Philadelphia. She and her lawyer and artist husband, C. Yarnall Abbott, lived in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania where he designed a house for them complete with artist’s studio. They had one daughter of their own, and adopted the two daughters of a favourite aunt of Elenore’s when the aunt passed away.