“Yesterday’s Tomorrow,” Mary Vickers, 1974 hand-colored etching, 22x18 in., signed and marked Artist’s Proof.

A rare Artist’s Proof from 1974, Mary Vickers’ Yesterday’s Tomorrow is a beautifully hand-colored etching featuring two expressive, Romantic female figures rendered with her signature delicacy and emotional resonance. With swirling curls, rose accents, and soft pastel tints, this early-period etching exemplifies Vickers’ internationally admired blend of Romanticism, decorative detail, and intimate human storytelling. Highly collectible for admirers of figurative prints, British Romantic revival art, and hand-colored etchings.

Artwork Description

Yesterday’s Tomorrow (1974) is a luminous example of Mary Vickers’ early hand-colored etchings—an intimate, poetic portrayal of two young women whose gazes drift toward unknown futures. Their softly rounded faces, expressive eyes, and flowing hair embody Vickers’ signature Romantic aesthetic, while the subtle pinks, greens, and warm earth tones added by hand enhance the work’s emotional warmth.

Each figure wears a headscarf and flowing drapery, decorated with rose motifs—one tucked behind the left figure’s ear and another blossoming at her neckline. The swirling etched lines of their curls create a gentle kinetic energy, suggesting movement, memory, and time. The background, rendered with Vickers’ characteristic feathered strokes, provides an atmospheric softness, allowing the figures to emerge as the emotional core of the composition.

The title, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, echoes Vickers’ recurring exploration of nostalgia, hope, and the passing of time—an invitation to see the subjects as reflections of youthful dreams, sisterly bonds, or shared inner worlds.

This work demonstrates the hallmarks of Vickers’ 1970s output: elegant figurative drawing, meticulous cross-hatching, romantic expressiveness, and the hand-colored enhancements that make each impression uniquely alive. As an Artist’s Proof, this print precedes the numbered edition and is especially desirable to collectors.

Signed lower right, titled center, and inscribed “Artist’s Proof” lower left.

Artist Biography

MARY VICKERS — BIOGRAPHY (British/American, born early 1940s)
Mary Vickers is a British-born Romantic figurative artist renowned for her emotionally expressive portraits, tender narratives, and richly detailed hand-colored and tonal etchings. Born in the early 1940s outside London, she displayed a natural talent for capturing emotion early in life, shaped by rural English surroundings and deep engagement with London’s museums, where Romantic and Pre-Raphaelite ideals deeply influenced her developing style.

Vickers trained at the S.E. Essex School of Art and St. Martin’s School of Art, later continuing advanced studies at the Art Students League of New York and the Graphic Center at Pratt Institute, where her discovery of original printmaking transformed her artistic direction. Beginning in 1969, she developed a signature technique combining delicately rendered faces, expressive cross-hatching, and richly textured backgrounds—often enhanced by hand coloring.

Throughout the 1970s she achieved widespread acclaim, exhibiting internationally in New York, Chicago, Paris, Puerto Rico, and across the U.S. Her work entered notable private collections, including those of Sarah Churchill, the Duke & Duchess of Marlborough, Robert Alda, Leonardo Nierman, and Peggy Lipton. Her paintings were later reproduced by Josiah Wedgwood & Sons and distributed globally by The Bradford Exchange, who described her as “one of the leading Romantic painters of our time.”

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.Vickers’ exhibitions spanned New York, Chicago, Paris, Puerto Rico, and London, and her collectors include Sarah Churchill, Peggy Lipton, Leonardo Nierman, and the Duke & Duchess of Marlborough. Her artwork was also reproduced by Josiah Wedgwood & Sons and The Bradford Exchange, which praised her as one of the leading Romantic painters of her time.

Dedicated to portraying love, beauty, and emotional truth, Vickers’ art is grounded in her belief that a piece is not complete until it finds a viewer who loves it. Now believed to be retired, her original etchings from the late 1960s through the 1970s remain the most collectible works of her career.

Guided by her philosophy that “there is no beauty without love,” Vickers focused her art on emotional truth—depicting lovers, children, families, and tender bonds with sincerity and grace. Now believed to be retired, her early etchings from the 1969–1979 period remain the most sought-after works of her career.

Mary Vickers (British/American, b. early 1940s)
Yesterday’s Tomorrow, 1974. Hand-colored etching on paper, 22 x 18 in. Signed, titled, and inscribed “Artist’s Proof.” Expressive Romantic portrait of two young women. Rare early hand-colored AP.

CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Mary Vickers
Title:Yesterday’s Tomorrow
Date: 1974
Medium: Hand-Colored Etching
Dimensions: 22 x 18 inches
Edition: Artist’s Proof (AP)
Signature: Signed lower right; titled center; inscribed AP
Provenance: Acquired in New York City; Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
Authenticity: Verified original etching printed from the artist’s plate and hand-colored under the artist’s supervision.
Condition: Excellent vintage condition
Estimated Market Value: See ranges below
Issued By: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC

Provenance Chain

1. Artist: Mary Vickers

2. Acquired: New York City

3. Private Collection: NYC

4. Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC