Chris Ritter Mid-Century Pastel and Watercolor Drawing of Wounded Lion adam and eve from the Duke of Newcastle

from the Duke of Newcastle to Mark Twain

documenting two different varieties of violets and their leaves

with some staining along the upper left edge (much darker on the back of the drawing than the front)

which was then covered with a denim-weight brown fabric

Chris Ritter Mid-Century Pastel and Watercolor Drawing of Wounded Lion adam and eve from the Duke of NewcastlePainter, printmaker, educator, and gallerist Chris Ritter (1906 1976), who made this large drawing I believe in the 1950s or so, was a fascinating character and important figure in the New York Postwar Avant Garde scene, whose work is represented in the British Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the New York Public Library, and the Whitney Museum of American Art as well as many other collections. (More bio below.) I purchased