The Two Illustrations of the Virtuoso, 1933.

We often present Walter H. Everett's artworks as standalone pieces, yet they were frequently paired alongside each other to bring short stories to life in the periodicals and magazines that defined 1930s pop culture.

Two illustrations were created for "The Virtuoso", a short story published in the February 1933 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Within our collection and research, we know these pieces as The Greek, the Maid, and a Piano, and Three Men and a Piano.

Written by Vincent Sheean, the tale follows an arrogant and aging piano master whose supreme confidence is shattered when a sly rival – the Greek – provokes him into obsessively and unsuccessfully attempting an impossible musical technique on the black keys.

Because a large portion of Everett's original works were historically lost or burned, our physical collection will always sadly be incomplete, making ongoing preservation a constant challenge.

The original illustration of Three Men and a Piano, however, has fortunately survived. As part of our commitment to preserving Everett’s work for the benefit of American art history, we commissioned a high-resolution scan of this primary piece, allowing us to share with you the artist's intricate composition and detail up close.

Three Men and a Piano, 1933

As for The Greek, The Maid, and a Piano, this artwork can currently only be seen through an archival scan of the magazine.

Yet somehow, we have one extra piece of this puzzle within our collection that gives a unique view into the lost illustration: a simple preliminary sketch of the rival character himself, titled The Study of the Greek. Viewing this rough sketch next to the final printed magazine illustration offers a fantastic window into how Everett developed his characters from initial concept to the final published page.

Thanks for staying with us to explore the story of The Virtuoso!

While much of Everett’s original artwork, studies, and sketches have been lost to time, we are dedicated to preserving and sharing what remains. And there are plenty more of stories like this that we hope to share with you!

Thinking you’d like to see illustrations like these in more detail? Explore the Foundation's online print store to browse our curated collection of high-resolution archival prints, and bring a piece of 1930s illustration history into your own space.