hans's and dagmar's alphabet...
some images and text from a tiny 1955 book called hans christian andersen's alphabet, pictures by dagmar starcke. i picked up the book initially for the cover design, which very much reminded me of joseph cornell; but starcke's illustrations to andersen fragments are quite odd and wonderful. i initially thought they were quilts, but i think they are paint and collaged fabric on some sort of linen...
though the elephant's weighty, his outlook is bright.
his foot may be heavy, but his heart it is light.
the moon at times a cap must wear
to guard her eyes against the glare.
the earth is our mother, so round and so great.
we shall all return to her, soon or late.
a lofty human brow may hide
worlds of thought beyond time and tide.
though the kettle ranks as a lowly thing,
like the silver tea-urn, it too can sing.
Labels: children's books, dagmar starcke, hans christian andersen, joseph cornell
2 Comments:
the poetry associated with the pictures seems so non-child to me, particularly the one about the earth. all beautiful
A little bit Blakean.
Anderson and Lewis Carroll have a somewhat similar melancholy cast of feature - although Anderson's features are sharper - that's one of the pointiest noses I've ever seen.
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