Mid-Century Pastel Portrait of a Young Girl by Saba

This item is a representational pastel or chalk drawing on paper, depicting a head-and-shoulders portrait of a young girl with long brown hair and bangs. The subject is wearing an orange garment against a soft, variegated green and yellow background. The artwork features a visible signature in the lower right corner that reads 'Saba'. The style of the illustration, particularly the large expressive eyes and hair rendering, suggests a mid-20th-century origin, likely from the 1960s or 1970s. The piece is housed in a classic gold-toned wooden or composite frame with a beaded inner edge and a wider flat outer profile. It is matted with a tiered, cream-colored double mat that provides depth to the presentation. The craftsmanship indicates a commercial but skilled artistic hand, common for commissioned childhood portraits of that era. Regarding condition, the frame shows minor age-appropriate wear and light scuffing, particularly at the corners. The matting appears to have some slight discoloration or acid burn around the edges, suggesting it may not be museum-grade acid-free paper. There are also visible small dark spots or foxing consistent with age on the lower portion of the mat. The artwork itself appears to be well-protected under glass, with the colors remaining vibrant and the pastel medium showing no signs of smudging or significant pigment loss.

I have conducted a visual examination of the mid-century pastel portrait signed 'Saba'. The work is a characteristic example of 1960s-1970s commercial portraiture, executed with a skillful hand that emphasizes emotive, large-eyed aesthetics popular during the era. The pastel medium remains vibrant, indicating the glass has provided adequate protection from UV exposure; however, physical inspection reveals minor foxing and acid-burn on the tiered matting, which suggests the use of non-archival materials that may eventually affect the paper substrate if not remediated. The market for mid-century 'Big Eye' or commercial pastel portraits is currently stable, though values are heavily driven by decorative appeal rather than artist name recognition, as 'Saba' likely represents a studio artist or a prolific local portraitist of the period. Comparables for framed pastel works of this size and subject matter typically realize between $100 and $300 at secondary markets and regional auctions. The value is suppressed by the presence of foxing on the mat and the lack of a documented provenance. Limitations: This appraisal is based solely on digital images. A physical inspection is required to confirm the presence of a signature on the paper itself (rather than the glass), verify the substrate condition beneath the matting, and check for hidden moisture damage. To fully authenticate the work, documentation of the original commission or a catalog raisonné search for ‘Saba’ would be necessary, though unlikely for this genre of decorative portraiture.