Past exhibition: Dreadful Things Happen

The Brothers Grimm and Maurice Sendak
From 07/02/2010 to 11/07/2010

For nearly two hundred years, the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm have been associated with classic folktales, from “Hansel and Gretel” and “Rumpelstiltskin,” to “Snow White” and “Cinderella.” Maurice Sendak has been an admirer of those stories all his life. From his 1973 illustrations for the collection of Grimm tales called The Juniper Tree to his costume designs for the opera version of Hansel and Gretel in 1996, Sendak has grappled with the mix of funny, cruel, strange, and ancient elements that mingle so successfully in stories by the Grimms.

“That’s why the children loved them,” said Sendak, “Because they were real life. Dreadful things happen. What more could you want?” This exhibition will revisit the Grimms’ beguiling stories, brought to life in vivid detail through Sendak’s illustrations, and complemented by George Cruikshank’s 1820s etchings of the tales, as well as a two-volume 1853 American edition. From witches and wicked parents, to Sendak’s own “wild things,” 200 years of the Grimms’ stories and their influence will delight kids and adults alike.

Sponsors

This exhibit is curated by Patrick Rodgers