“Monday Mourning,” Gerry Dvorak (1913–1999), c.1970s hand-pulled lithograph, 26×20 in., signed & numbered 116/215, original limited-edition print.

“Monday Mourning,” Gerry Dvorak (1913–1999), c.1970s hand-pulled lithograph, 26×20 in., signed & numbered 116/215, original limited-edition print.

“Monday Mourning” by Gerry Dvorak is a signed, limited-edition hand-pulled lithograph (116/215) that captures Dvorak’s signature blend of narrative realism, childhood nostalgia, and mid-century Americana. A highly collectible work from the celebrated animator and illustrator, this vintage print remains in excellent frameable condition.

Artwork Description

“Monday Mourning” is a poignant narrative lithograph that exemplifies Gerry Dvorak’s gift for combining story, memory, and subtle emotional depth. The composition presents a young blonde girl in profile, dressed in a red coat and wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat with black ribbons. Her expression is contemplative—resolute yet vulnerable—as she gazes toward an unseen future, evoking the universal childhood experience of facing the unfamiliar.

Behind her, a simple white rural schoolhouse sits atop a sweeping golden field, framed by softly rolling hills and dotted with autumnal trees. The setting feels both nostalgic and symbolic: a quiet American pastoral landscape representing routine, transition, and the bittersweet rituals of youth—particularly the reluctant return to school after weekends or holidays. Dvorak’s finely controlled draughtsmanship, honed during decades in animation and illustration, is visible in the crisp outlines, smooth tonal transitions, and clean graphic quality of the lithographic technique.

The medium—a hand-drawn, hand-pulled lithograph—allows Dvorak to merge painterly atmosphere with illustrative clarity. The signature appears in graphite at the lower right, while the edition number “116/215” is marked at lower left. The print’s warm palette, narrative sensibility, and emotional accessibility place it firmly within the American representational and story-driven print traditions of the 1960s–1980s, resonating with collectors who appreciate figurative art infused with quiet drama.

Artist Biography

Gerry Dvorak (American, 1913–1999) was an illustrator, animator, painter, and printmaker whose career spanned the golden age of American commercial art and the mid-century rise of limited-edition fine-art lithography.

Early Life & Education
Born in Pennsylvania, Dvorak showed artistic promise from an early age and pursued formal training at several significant institutions. He attended Penn State College, later studying fashion and illustration at the Traphagen School of Fashionin New York. His most formative training occurred at the Art Students League of New York, where he worked under noted masters Frank Reilly, Reginald Marsh, Victor Perard, and Robert Beverly Hale—figures who shaped generations of American painters and illustrators. This academic grounding instilled in Dvorak a strong command of anatomy, composition, and tonal structure.

Career in Animation & Illustration
Dvorak became a professional artist during the peak of the American animation industry. He worked for major studios including Paramount Pictures, UPA Pictures, Hanna-Barbera, and CBS, participating in the creation of iconic animated characters and series. His screen credits include The Flintstones, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and the feature film Raggedy Ann & Andy. He also contributed to animated commercials, including the well-known Harry and Bert Piel advertising series.

In addition to animation, Dvorak produced illustrations for magazines, newspapers, and book covers. Notably, he contributed to Topps baseball cards in the 1950s, a category now avidly pursued by collectors of sports ephemera. His crisp linework and nostalgic sense of American life made his illustrations instantly recognizable.

Transition to Fine Art
By the 1970s, Dvorak’s commercial success allowed him to dedicate increasing time to fine art—painting, drawing, and printmaking. His lithographs often focus on childhood, quiet emotional scenes, and Americana, executed with the precision of an illustrator and the sensitivity of a storyteller. His works were exhibited widely in New York and Florida at venues including Phyllis Lucas Gallery, Abercrombie & Fitch Gallery, FAR Gallery, Sportsman’s Edge, Adray, and the Ridgewood Art Association.

A notable highlight of his career was a one-man exhibition in Miami Beach, attended by then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey, underscoring the respect he commanded in political, social, and artistic circles. His oil painting of a white tiger became part of the collection of the Maharajah of Rewa in India.

Collectors prize Dvorak for his cross-disciplinary fluency—animation, commercial illustration, portraiture, and printmaking—resulting in a body of work that is both technically accomplished and emotionally compelling. His fine-art prints, including “Monday Mourning,” reflect the storytelling instinct that defined his entire career.

Gerry Dvorak (1913–1999), “Monday Mourning,” c.1970s, hand-pulled lithograph, 26×20 in., signed in pencil lower right and numbered 116/215. Excellent vintage condition. From the retired Mitch Morse Gallery, NYC.

Certificate of Value & Authentication

Artist: Gerry Dvorak (American, 1913–1999)
Title: Monday Mourning
Date: c.1970s
Medium: Hand-drawn, hand-pulled original lithograph
Dimensions: 26 × 20 in. (sheet), 23 × 17 in. (image)
Edition: 116/215
Signature: Hand-signed by the artist in graphite
Authenticity: This work is guaranteed to be an original limited-edition lithograph created, signed, and numbered by Gerry Dvorak.
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery, NYC → Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
Condition: Excellent frameable vintage condition, never framed or displayed.
This certificate affirms the authenticity and valuation of the artwork for collectors, insurers, and galleries.

Provenance Chain (Collector-Formatted)

Mitch Morse Gallery, New York, NY (acquired directly in NYC)
→ Private Gallery Holdings, United States
→ Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (current owner)