An original pen and ink drawing from one of the premier female figures of the “Golden Age of American Illustration” that appeared originally in the William Randolph Hearst publication New York Journal-American newspaper during the 1920s or 1930s.

Nell Brinkley’s editorial artwork depicts three women in the three stages of life. The elderly woman in the center is seen faded and hanging on the wall. The young woman to her right wags a derisive finger and smiles mockingly at the middle age woman on the left, the middle aged woman recoils in horror at the prospect of aging further.

Quoted partial bio of the artist

“During what historians call the era of the “New Woman,” increasing numbers of women pursued higher education, romance, marriage, leisure activities, and a sense of individuality with greater independence. New era women sought equality and opportunity through more active roles in the public realm.

Nell Brinkley stood out during this period as a female pioneer in the field of illustration, a woman artist who created the “Brinkley Girl,” a highly popular icon. She drew active idealistic young women in illustrations for newspaper feature stories that she wrote. “Golden Eyes,” a World War I heroine who promoted the sale of Liberty Bonds and supported overseas war efforts, emerges as one of Brinkley’s most memorable creations.

In her fine-lined Art Nouveau manner, Brinkley portrayed her heroine as a dynamic, windblown symbol of women’s active patriotism.”

“The Three Graces”, her drawing which idolized “the three graces of suffrage, preparedness and Americanism,” set a new standard for feminine beauty and inspired a whole generation of women artists, including Dale Messick, the creator of the comic series ‘Brenda Starr, Reporter.’