Brief History and selected Watercolors by Vera Andrus

 

The Cunard Line Commissions - 1933

 

In 1933, Vera Andrus was commissioned by the New York office of The Cunard Line, a steamship/ocean liner company, to produce a series of watercolors. The shapes of these ships lent themselves to being rendered in the Art Deco styles which was popular at the time. The title of the series is taken from the artist’s lithograph: The Last Port of Call Series.

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Nova Scotia and the Gaspe Peninsula - 1930s

 

In the 1930s, Vera Andrus traveled to Nova Scotia and the Gaspe Peninsula in Canada, areas she would visit frequently over the years. Numerous outstanding watercolors, drawings and lithographs by the artist have Nova Scotia themes. In 1939, she wrote and illustrated a book entitled Sea Bird Island (Harcourt Brace), with Nova Scotia as its locale.

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Life Along The Hudson - 1939 -1941

 

In 1939-1941, Vera Andrus executed a number of scenes of the Hudson River Valley which were to be illustrations for a book entitled "The Shining River". A member if the prominent Rockefeller family had agreed to publish the book, but died before the project could be completed, so many of the watercolors in the series remained in the artist’s estate. She also sometimes called the series "Life Along the Hudson".

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Travel in France – 1950s

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In 1950, Vera Andrusartist received a grant from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to study in France. Her work from this period, including watercolors, lithographs and pencil drawings, is becoming increasingly sought-after.

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