This exceptional pastel attributed to Samuel Nelson Abbott (1874-1953) is a working drawing, undoubtedly by the artist’s hand, for a cover of Woman’s Home Companion that appeared in October 1933. Abbott, who rarely signed his work, captured, or some would say created, the perfect image of a young, well-heeled and elegant elite of Jazz Age New York. He is widely admired for his ad campaign for Hart-Schaffner & Marks clothiers and his many covers for The Saturday Evening Post and Ladies Home Journal as well as the Companion. This pastel is a particularly beautiful example. Based on the changes in dress and spirit from this original to the actual magazine cover, I suspect this pastel may have been drawn earlier than 1933. The pencil grid that overlays the image, however, testifies to its ultimate purpose. Condition: Excellent. Dimensions: Frame W 17.5" x L 18.5" Image: W 9.5" x 11.5".