“A Girl’s Best Friend,” Mary Vickers, 1979 hand-painted sepia lithograph, signed & numbered 1/275, 29×22 inches.

“A Girl’s Best Friend,” Mary Vickers, 1979 hand-painted sepia lithograph, signed & numbered 1/275, 29×22 inches.

A Girl’s Best Friend is a delightful 1979 hand-painted sepia lithograph by noted Romantic artist Mary Vickers, capturing childhood innocence with exceptional tenderness and charm. This scarce No. 1/275 example—the very first print in the edition—features Vickers’ signature detail, soft palette, and emotionally expressive style. The artwork showcases her mastery of combining fine linear draftsmanship with delicate hand-applied color to create luminous, timeless imagery cherished by collectors worldwide.

Artwork Description

Rendered in Vickers’ beloved sepia technique, this hand-painted lithograph depicts a young child seated on a soft bed, completely absorbed in examining a trove of sparkling jewelry. The warm sepia base provides a nostalgic, vintage tone, while hand-applied watercolor hues enhance the beads, bangles, and glimmering trinkets scattered around the child.

The composition is intimate and narrative-rich: the baby’s thoughtful expression, the gentle lighting, and the luxurious textures of the jewelry box and fabrics combine to create a tender portrait of curiosity and early imagination.

This impression is signed in graphite and numbered 1/275, marking it as the coveted first print of the edition—a highly desirable feature among fine-print collectors. The artwork measures 29×22 inches, offering a substantial visual presence ideal for framing.

Mary Vickers Biography

Mary Vickers (British, mid-20th century) is a figurative artist best known for her emotionally resonant drawings and lithographs depicting children, families, quiet domestic moments, and tender human relationships. Her work became widely collected in the 1970s and early 1980s, especially in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, where her limited-edition prints developed a devoted following.

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

Born in England in the 1940s, Vickers showed an early aptitude for drawing, particularly for rendering expressive faces and the subtle gestures of children. She was trained in traditional draftsmanship — a foundation that shaped the delicate, controlled linework seen throughout her lithographs. Although not formally affiliated with one academy, her early influences included British illustrators, Victorian genre painters, and contemporary figurative realists whose work emphasized emotional storytelling.

Development of Her Style

By the late 1960s, Vickers had developed the artistic language that would define her career:

• Sepia-toned drawing and lithography

• Soft hand-coloring applied to selected editions

• Narratives centered on childhood innocence, family bonds, and intimate daily moments

• Highly detailed linework combined with atmospheric shading

Her subjects—children fishing, playing, daydreaming, gardening, or interacting with parents and grandparents—captured universal emotional themes. While sentimental, her work is fundamentally rooted in keen observation, balancing technical precision with tenderness.

Professional Career and International Recognition

In the early 1970s, Vickers’ work came to the attention of the Mitch Morse Gallery, an American fine art publisher specializing in limited-edition lithographs. Recognizing the unique appeal of her figurative style, the gallery entered into an exclusive publishing arrangement with her.

For the next decade:

• All of Mary Vickers’ limited-edition lithographs were published exclusively by Mitch Morse Gallery.

• The gallery supervised edition sizes, printing quality, signing, and hand-coloring.

• Vickers’ work was widely distributed through fine art galleries, framing boutiques, and national art shows across the U.S. and Europe.

This partnership ensured consistency, authenticity, and proper documentation—one reason her editions remain highly collectible today.

Technique and Creative Process

Vickers worked primarily in graphite, sepia pencil, and lithographic crayon, creating highly refined drawings that printers transferred to lithographic plates. Many editions were issued in two formats:

1. Standard lithographs (uncolored)

2. Hand-colored lithographs (painted individually with watercolor or light washes)

Her hand-coloring was subtle, never overpowering the drawing—always reinforcing mood and narrative. Edition sizes were typically 200–275, along with a small number of Artist’s Proofs (AP).

Themes and Artistic Vision

Collectors respond strongly to Vickers’ work because it captures universal human experiences:

• Childhood wonder and formative experiences

• Family relationships across generations

• Quiet reflection and interior emotional worlds

• The poetic beauty of everyday life

Rather than idealizing children, she portrayed them with psychological honesty—thoughtful, curious, sometimes lonely, sometimes joyful.

Legacy and Collector Significance

Today, Mary Vickers’ lithographs are sought after for:

• Their technical excellence

• Their emotional accessibility

• The consistency and integrity of her limited editions

• Their nostalgic cultural value as icons of 1970s figurative art

Her prints remain staples in vintage fine art collections and continue to be exhibited in private galleries globally. The involvement of Mitch Morse Gallery ensures clear provenance and secure attribution for collectors.

Mary Vickers (British/American, b. early 1940s), A Girl’s Best Friend, 1979 sepia lithograph with hand painting, signed & numbered 1/275, 29×22 in.

CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Mary Vickers
Title: “A Girl’s Best Friend”
Year: 1979
Medium: Sepia Lithograph with Hand Painting
Edition: 1/275 (First in Edition)
Dimensions: 29×22 in.
Signature: Hand-signed in graphite
Condition: Excellent
Provenance: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
This artwork is guaranteed authentic and produced as part of the original 1979 limited-edition release.

Provenance

Published by Mitch Morse Gallery (exclusive publisher of Mary Vickers).
Acquired directly from Mitch Morse Gallery.
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.

[ALSO AVAILABLE: 73/275; 127/275; 165/275; and 168/275]