The Peacock Robe
Date1921
Artist
George Watson Barratt
(American illustrator and stage designer, 1884–1962)
Illustration CitationCover for Today's Housewife, May 1921, and illustration for "The Peacock Robe," by Louise Rand Bascom in the same issue.
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions23 3/8 × 15 3/4 in. (59.4 × 40 cm)
frame: 29 3/8 × 21 7/8 in. (74.6 × 55.6 cm)
frame: 29 3/8 × 21 7/8 in. (74.6 × 55.6 cm)
Credit LineLouisa du Pont Copeland Memorial Fund, 1981
Object number1981-4
On View
On viewClassificationsPAINTING
Label TextThis cover illustrated a serialized story about a young woman who receives an evening cloak decorated with layers of peacock feathers. As she leaves for an evening out, a neighbor warns that peacocks are bad luck, a plot development that lends a mysterious air to the story and its illustration.After studying with Howard Pyle in 1908, George Watson Barratt went on to a career in illustration, mural painting, and set design. The dramatic lighting, symmetrical placements, and carefully arranged costume in this scene suggest his theatrical interests.
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