Original and rare unsigned ink illustration of a moustached older gentleman, captioned in Clemens’ hand, “Howells & Laffan,” on a 5.5 x 9 off-white illustrator’s sheet affixed to a slightly larger card. Clemens made this sketch for an article entitled “Instructions in Art,” which originally was published in Metropolitan Magazine in 1903. In the article, Clemens wrote this description for his work, “We now come to the next portrait, which is either Mr. Howells or Mr. Laffan. I cannot tell which, because the label is lost. But it will do for both, because the features are Mr. Howells's, while the expression is Mr. Laffan's. This work will bear critical examination.” Clemens’s article was intended to be a madcap account of his own ventures in sketching, and parodying the jargon-laden, ostentatious art criticism. W. M. Laffan was a newspaperman and trustee of the Metropolitan Museum, celebrated for his wide knowledge of art. In fine condition, with a pencil notation below image, a light horizontal crease, scattered light spotting, and some notations and surface loss to borders of card. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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