Young trick-or-treaters show off their Halloween costumes to a couple driving a 1929 Franklin Sport Sedan in this delightful painting by renowned American illustrator Harry Anderson. The playful composition comes from Anderson’s series entitled Great Moments In Early American Motoring that appeared in Exxon and Esso calendars produced in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Full of color and lighthearted fun, the charming work is an especially fine example from this extraordinary series.

Harry Anderson was a prolific, award-winning illustrator who received his art education at the Syracuse School of Art. He worked on several national advertising campaigns for brands such as Coca-Cola, Ford and American Airlines, and he created illustrations for some of the most popular magazines of the day including The Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan. In 1994, he was inducted into the Society of Illustrator’s Hall of Fame. Anderson is known best for his car calendar illustrations such as the present work, and because those calendars were popular with vintage car enthusiasts Anderson was careful to render the automobiles with meticulous detail and accuracy.

Circa 1970