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| March 19, 1966 Petty final cover |
This post was first published in 2012. I decided to run it again because autumn always reminds me of Mary Petty, one of my favorite artists, though I am not entirely sure why.
As always each picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.
The last cover self taught artist Mary Petty drew for The New Yorker Magazine showed the Dowager Mrs. Peabody reaching for the bell pull to call her maid Fay. Sadly the ribbon pull cord, breaks from age as does the string of pearls that always hung around Mrs. Peabody's neck.
The cover series, which appeared from 1927 until the last one on March 19,1966, were about the fictional Peabody family and their wispy maid Fay ("half sylph and half butterfly") .
For 40 years readers followed the family as one by one they disappeared from the story and only Mrs. Peabody was left. I find the last cover hauntingly sad. How hard for the elderly to be left alone in a world where all their contemporaries are gone on ahead of them.
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| Mrs. Peabody by Mary Petty |
In learning more about Mary Petty, I discovered this sad information at American National Biography Online about her own ending.
"Petty's career was tragically cut short when on 1 December 1971 she was assaulted and badly beaten by a mugger. She was found on Ward's Island three days afterward, bruised and incoherent, and never wholly recovered. She died five years later at the Pine Rest Nursing Home in Paramus, New Jersey."
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| Fay," half sylph, half butterfly". by Mary Petty |
Reports say she had been beaten to the point that she was left with the mind of a 3 year old child.
So sad an ending but she left a bit of herself for us to enjoy and her legacy lives on in new admirers of her work. I hope you will include yourself among her admirers now.
She illustrated a few books which included Goodbye Mr. Chippendale and This Petty Pace, a collection of her work from the New Yorker
I highly recommend both .
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| New Yorker Cover Nov. 11, 1950 |
Mary Petty's work may be found on Art.com , AllPosters.com and on the New Yorker site as well. If you like her drawings,they are available full size .
Mary Petty was born in Hampton, New Jersey to Robert Davison Petty, a law professor at the New York Law School, and Florence Servis, a schoolteacher. In 1922, Petty graduated from the Horace Mann School in New York City. She did not formally study art, but taught herself to draw.(wikipedia)
I had not heard of this artist before and her paintings have a lot of charm for me. Is the story theme they illustrate from a story or did she make up the story line? What a tragic end to her life.
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting life she led, but yes, such a sad ending for her. So thankful she left such a beautiful legacy. Makes me want to draw/paint too, but you will have to come teach me... I love such beauty that comes from within a person's heart and mind and onto the paper! Such a gift! Thank you for sharing. I want to go back and read her stories...maybe someday I will. I wonder if I could find them in the library?
ReplyDeleteShe only drew pictures, she didn't write. The story is in the drawings which you find on the covers of the New Yorker and in her book, This Petty Pace. Goodbye Mr. Chips was written by James Hilton but she did the illustrations. Goodbye Mr. Chips is about a teacher at an all boys school in England during the 1800s. Its a wonderful story and would be in the library for sure. It is considered a masterpiece actually.
Delete"A minor miracle” -The New York Times "A gem for all time" —The Observer"
A very sad ending to a very interesting life. Enjoy this post!
ReplyDeleteAn amazing talent and how sad to meet such a horrible end. Thanks for sharing this with us. Good info!
ReplyDeleteThis magazine had so many wonderful offerings to delight ! Mary Petty's art was most memorable and the progressive story of the covers was accurate to the time and society...very dear .
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing ! Her demise was cruel...the violent have no conscience...destroying all in their way .She seemed a sweet soul and her work lives on in testimony of her talent .
Be well , my friend !