Here is your chance to own an original cover art illustration from the Nancy Drew series of books. This original pastel drawing was for the cover of Portrait In Crime, Case 49 of the Nancy Drew Files. The storyline has her solving the mystery of an artist’s nephew’s death and find a missing painting from a Hamptons art gallery. The book was published in 1990 and written by Caroline Keene, one of several stories she wrote for the Nancy Drew series.
This Nancy Drew cover art is an original pastel drawing by artist James Mathewuse. He was a well known illustrator and did several book covers including Hardy Boys, Black Beauty, Roommates, P.T. Barnum and Malcolm X to name a few. He also did portrait paintings including one of President John F. Kennedy, painted in 1962 for the Democratic Party. Other portraits include Johnny Carson, Liberace, Roy Rogers, Robert F. Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller.
The drawing is in very nice original condition and appears to have never been framed. The artist signature is in the lower left side and signed in pencil. The couple in the background are drawn on a separate piece of paper, which was applied to the main illustration. With this type of artwork, we recommend shipping this in a flat pack instead of a tube.
ARTIST: James L. Mathewuse (1938-2021)
TITLE: Portrait In Crime, The Nancy Drew Files
PERIOD: 1990
HAND PAINTED: Yes
EDITION: Original
MEDIUM: Pastel on paper
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
CONDITION: Very nice condition.
FRAME: Unframed
ARTWORK SIZE
HEIGHT: 24.5 in. (62 cm)
WIDTH: 16.75 in. (43 cm)
