Oversized original sketch by film and theatre director Rouben Mamoulian, who draws a scene from Porgy and Bess that depicts two African American women walking, one holding an infant and both head-carrying baskets. Accomplished in graphite on an off-white 12.5 x 16.5 inch sheet of artist paper, which is signed and inscribed in the lower left corner in pencil, “To Lee and Ira, with love, Rouben, Sept. 1941.” In overall fine condition, with overall toning, small old tape stain to the upper left edge, laid down to rigid backing and matted to an overall size of 21.5 x 25.5 inches (56 x 65 cm). 

Mamoulian began his Broadway director career with a production of DuBose Heyward's Porgy, which opened on October 10, 1927. He directed the revival of Porgy two years later and, after several years of making movies in Hollywood, he returned to the stage to direct George Gershwin's operatic treatment of Porgy and Bess, which opened on October 10, 1935. Mamoulian was also originally hired to direct the 1959 film adaptation, but he was subsequently fired in favor of director Otto Preminger after a disagreement with the producer; namely, Mamoulian wanted to film on location in South Carolina after a fire on the sound stage destroyed the film's sets.