Woman in a Chekhov Mood

Philip Howard Evergood

"Woman in a Chekhov Mood" is the last image illustrated in Lucy Lippard's 'The Graphic Work of Philip Evergood.' It is listed as a four-color lithograph, printed from zinc plates, done in 1965 for the Vincent Price Collection for Sears and Roebuck. This image appears to have been printed in 3 states. There is a first state, with black and white impressions; this state, a second state, with a blue and faint yellow, numbered 50/50 and Lippard lists an edition of 100, a third state, with a dark golden background, a fourth color, added to the blue, black and faint yellow.

Actor/art collector Vincent Price was hired by Sears & Roebuck in 1962 to select work to be offered for sale through their stores. By the time the program ended in 1971 more than 50,000 original works had been sold. The program was referred to as the 'Vincent Price Collection'.

The collection included works Rembrandt, Goya, Chagall, Picasso, Whistler and many contemporary artists of the day. It included a watercolor by Andrew Wyeth and a painting by Salvador Dali commissioned by Price.

Each work of art offered by Sears was guaranteed under a Sears money-back warranty as “an original work of quality”. Prices ranged from as little at $10 to $3,000 with an installment plan available offering payments as low as $5 a month. Special Sears catalogs in 1963 and 1964 included works from the collection.

"Woman in a Chekhov Mood" was an image commissioned by Sears and Price and printed by Master Printer Burr Miller for sale in the stores throughout the United States.