Virginia Frances Sterrett (1900-1931)

By Caroline Fletcher

Virginia Frances Sterrett was born in Chicago in 1900. Her father died when she was young, and as a result, her family struggled financially throughout her youth. Her remaining family relocated to the interior Midwest, and Virginia found great comfort in her drawing ability. During this time, Virginia’s friends convinced her to enter some of her illustrations in a state fair contest, in which she did very well. This accomplishment caught the attention of the Art Institute of Chicago, which subsequently offered her a scholarship. She attended the Art Institute for only 14 months until her mother became ill, and Virginia had to look to support her family in other ways. 

She found lucrative opportunities in advertising agencies and began working for Penn Publishing Company to illustrate fairy tale anthologies, among them Old French Fairy Tales by the Comtesse de Ségur. However, her health began to fail, and she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. 

Virginia moved to California with her family in 1923 so that she could enter a sanatorium to recover while simultaneously illustrating for work. Her health improved for a bit after 1928, and her work was even showcased in several exhibitions up until her untimely death in 1931.

Sophie, Comtesse de Ségur, Old French Fairy Tales (New York: Hampton Publishing Company, 1920) Tulane University Special Collections PZ8.S327 Ol

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• Description: Rosalie is on a journey after a malicious encounter with a mouse who, in actuality, turns out to be a fairy. She finds herself alone in the world for the first time after having an extremely sheltered upbringing from her sorcerer father. After falling asleep in the forest, she is discovered by a prince who returns to his palace with Rosalie. While at this palace Rosalie discovers a mysterious wedding gift concealed in the garden, a remarkably beautiful tree. This illustration with Rosalie marveling at the tree captures the rhythmic flow and natural inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement. The inspiration from nature is evident in the highly stylized tree with unique fruits and limbs, creating an almost otherworldly form. The subject, Rosalie, also successfully portrays the elegant atmosphere with her simple yet clean design in clothing and hair. The elongated forms such as the subject, the nature, and the foreground also exude a typical characteristic seen in Art Nouveau works.
• Creator: Virginia Frances Sterrett
• Publisher: New York: Hampton Publishing Company, 1920

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• Description: Blondine is traveling through the enchanted lilac forest after relinquishing her friends Bonne-Biche the deer and Beau-Minon the cat by naively listening to a magician disguised as a parrot. After her friends are supposedly killed and their castle is in ruins, Blondine remains and laments at the castle for some time until a giant tortoise arrives and offers her the answers to her questions. Blondine agrees to travel for six months through the forest on the condition that she does not speak, for at the end of this trial, she would learn the outcomes of her friends and possibly be reunited with her father. This illustration portrays a placid scene; however, the darker palette hints at possibly more melancholic themes. The forest is thick, and the trees engage unearthly, dark, and twisted forms. The tortoise’s body and shell match the colors of the surrounding nature, making Blondine’s appearance more apparent. Her complexion and clothing are much lighter than her surroundings, emphasizing her innate fairy tale purity versus the unnerving danger of the forest and nature. Sterrett captures the stylistic essence of the Art Nouveau movement by depicting all the forms in movement with each other within nature. The curved lines and vertically stretched figures create a flowing and ethereal appearance, which also complements the moodiness of the scene.
• Creator: Virginia Frances Sterrett
• Publisher: New York: Hampton Publishing Company, 1920

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• Description: This illustration depicts Princess Rosette and Prince Charmant walking through the palace garden following their dances together during the ball. Rosette had been sent away by her parents following her birth so that she could be reared in the countryside by her fairy godmother, Puissante (=powerful). Eventually, she was invited back to the palace to celebrate with her sisters and their preparations for marriage. However, this reconciliation does not go over well, and her family is jealous when they see Rosette adorned with jewels and elegant clothing in a fairy-like fashion. Throughout this scene, Rosette is able to spend time with the fated Prince Charmant, who wishes to wed her. Although this scene occurs at night, the massive palace, which takes up the background, is bright and looks like an otherworldly city. It resembles Near Eastern architecture with many jutting minarets and dome features. This architecture seems to capture the stylistic fundamentals of Art Nouveau with its slim yet flowing features. Sterrett designed the illustration to appear cohesive and flowing, creating a sense of unified simplicity even within complex designs. It suggests a work that feels lush yet purposeful, resulting in a maximalism that resonates with natural elegance rather than excessive grandeur.
• Creator: Virginia Frances Sterrett
• Publisher: New York: Hampton Publishing Company, 1920