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Gum Kids by Leslie Thrasher
- In this painting by Leslie Thrasher, two children play with their gum on the family couch
- One of the leading American illustrators, Thrasher's pieces always possessed his signature humor
- Get complete item description here
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1889-1936 | American
Gum Kids
Signed “Leslie Thrasher” (lower left)
Oil on canvas
Two young children play an ill-advised game of gum stretching on the family couch in this charming composition by famed American illustrator, Leslie Thrasher. These images appeared on the covers of Liberty Magazine, for whom he produced one cover illustration a week for six consecutive years. Painted towards the start of the Great Depression, Thrasher provided light-hearted. . .
1889-1936 | American
Gum Kids
Signed “Leslie Thrasher” (lower left)
Oil on canvas
Two young children play an ill-advised game of gum stretching on the family couch in this charming composition by famed American illustrator, Leslie Thrasher. These images appeared on the covers of Liberty Magazine, for whom he produced one cover illustration a week for six consecutive years. Painted towards the start of the Great Depression, Thrasher provided light-hearted images of the lives of everyday people to distract Americans from their troubles.
Born in 1889 in Piedmont, West Virginia, Thrasher studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as a teenager and received a scholarship to study art abroad in Paris. Upon his return, he began studying under Howard Pyle, known as the “father of American illustration.” Thrasher sold his first cover illustration to the Saturday Evening Post in 1912, four years before Norman Rockwell’s first Post cover, and he would go on to produce over 360 magazine covers throughout his career. He painted humorous, relatable scenes of life in America with colorful characters set against white backgrounds. He was also a successful commercial artist, painting advertisements for Cream of Wheat, Chesterfield Cigarettes and Fisk Tire.
Circa 1930
Canvas: 14 1/8" high x 13 1/8" wide
Frame: 18 1/4" high x 17 3/8" high

| Maker: | Thrasher, Leslie |
| Period: | 1919-Present |
| Origin: | America |
| Type: | Paintings |
| Style: | Illustration |
| Depth: | 1.88 in. (4.76 cm) |
| Width: | 17.38 in. (44.13 cm) |
| Height: | 18.25 in. (46.36 cm) |
| Canvas Width: | 13.125 in. (33.34 cm) |
| Canvas Height: | 14.125 in. (35.88 cm) |
America’s Stories: The Art of American Illustration
Read MoreBuy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.

On Approval
Examine select works in person before you commit

125% Guarantee
Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years

Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists