Old French Fairy Tales, 1920

Virginia Frances Sterrett

1900–1931

 

Virginia Frances Sterrett was born in Chicago, but spent her early years in Missouri and Kansas. Her father died when she was very young, and the family had little in the way of financial resources.

In 1915, the family moved back to Chicago. She received a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago, but had to leave after only fourteen months in order to support her family due to her mother’s ill health. Over the next three years, Virginia worked for various advertising agencies in Chicago. Her health, too, began to fail, and she was diagnosed with tuberculosis.

In 1919, she was commissioned by the Penn Publishing Company to provide illustrations for Old French Fairy Tales by Comtesse de Segur. Two years later, she illustrated Tanglewood Tales, also for Penn.

Sterrett and her family moved to California in 1923, where she entered a sanitorium. She continued to work, but had to limit her working hours due to her health. Penn Publishing hired her for a third book, Arabian Nights, which was published in 1928. Soon afterward, her health improved and she left the sanitorium. She had several exhibitions of her work over the next few years, and Penn approached her to illustrate Myths and Legends. Although she had finished most of the art for the book, she died before it was completed.

Rosalie saw before her eyes a tree of marvelous beauty

“The Little Gray Mouse,” Old French Fairy Tales, 1920

They were three months passing through the forest

“Blondine, Bonne-Biche, and Beau-Minon,” Old French Fairy Tales, 1920

They walked side by side during the rest of the evening

Old French Fairy Tales, 1920

The fairy must give herself up to the queen and lose her power for eight days

“The Princess Rosette”

Violette takes refuge from the wild boar

“Ourson”

Old French Fairy Tales, 1920

Violette consented willingly to pass the night in the forest

“Ourson,” Old French Fairy Tales, 1920