Pease enrolled in the famous Art Students League of New York, which was loosely patterned after European counterparts in Paris. Emerging from school with her own recognizable style, Bessie Pease joined the ranks of commercial free-lance artists during what was known as the “Golden Age of Illustration.” Advancements in the printing processes of the era, such as halftone reproduction and four-color printing, meant the demand for work was great.

As a reflection of America’s Industrial Revolution and westward expansion, demand for “traditional” family values- home, motherhood, family, became popular in periodicals and publications of the day to counterbalance fears of radical social change. However, her work had universal appeal and was sold in Europe, Japan, and Africa in formats of books, magazines, calendars, and postcards. Having no reservations about doing commercial artwork, she did feel that “there’s no reason why a picture print or a drawing or a painting for an advertisement shouldn’t be as beautiful and artistic as a bit of art ‘for art’s sake.’”

Bessie Pease is best known for luminescent figural work with emphasis on the subject- infant, child, bride, cherub set against a muted and simple background. Experiments with watercolor over charcoal create a three-demensional sculptural feel as well as warmth and “flesh and blood” quality to her subjects that enable the viewer to relate. Widespread appeal to her work transcends time, gender, and lifestyle, and her work continues to be reproduced and cherished.