Original illustration art of a family of well-dressed anthropomorphic rabbits gathered in a parlor.  The mother, father and a girl, presumably the elder sister, reach out their arms to greet a young girl rabbit in a ballet tutu emerging from a curtained doorway.  The girl, presumably a member of the family, is there to give a dance recital, or has just come from one. 

Culmer Barnes was an American illustrator and cartoonist whose work was published in magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar.  He also illustrated children’s books and was a regular contributor of both illustrations and comic drawings to the popular children’s periodical St. Nicholas from the 1880s to the 1920s.

Barnes illustrated John H. Jewett’s The Bunny Stories, serialized in eight installments in 1889 in successive issues of St. Nicholas Magazine and later published as a book in 1892.  This may be the original drawing for one of these publications.

Condition:  Generally very good with the usual light overall wear.  Small chip to upper margin, professionally stored, line there re-inked, not obtrusive.

References:

Contento, William G., ed.  “St. Nicholas.”  The Fiction Mag Index.  http://users.ev1.net/~homeville/fictionmag/t853.htm (10 March 2005).

Olson, Richard D.  “The Use of Comic Humor in St. Nicholas Magazine.” The R. F. Outcault Reader  Vol. 9, No. 1.  http://www.neponset.com/yellowkid/news0902.htm (10 March 2005).