The Education of Mr. Pipp: Mr. Pipp Meets Two of the Courier's Intimate Friends, a Prince and a Duke

From 1890 to 1910, Charles Dana Gibson was one of America’s most successful illustrators. His concept of the model American woman appeared in many of his illustrations and inspired the term "Gibson Girl." His tall, athletic, beautiful and modern heroine was the epitome of American femininity and new independent spirit. She influenced fashion trends and the notion of the ideal beauty for nearly two decades.

The Education of Mr. Pipp is regarded as Gibson’s best illustration series. It chronicles the misadventures of Mr. Pipp, a wealthy American traveling through Europe with his domineering wife and two beautiful, marriageable, Gibson Girl-like daughters. Gibson’s pen and ink style, characterized by rich darks, subtle tonalities, and strong lines, describes the story in this single illustration. As with most of the artist’s work, this illustration conveys lighthearted satire. The scene presents his pointed view of newly emerging wealth and social climbers.