...Hans Christian Andersen’s drawings
The majority part of Hans Christian Andersen’s drawings derive from his two journeys: “Educational Journey” to Italy 1833-34 and “Oriental Journey” to Greece and Turkey 1840-41. The drawing above bears the title: “Public-house Room in Pianore Between Florence and Bologna April 16 1834”.
...Hans Christian Andersen made this fantastic papercut for Dorothea Melchior
He wrote on it “A papercutting by Hans Christian Andersen for Mrs. Melchior née Henriques 1874”,. The papercut summarizes a number of the motifs which Hans Christian Andersen liked to use in his papercuts, e.g.: Millman, goblins, Pierrot, ballerinas, skulls, swans, figures with umbrellas, masks, angels, hearts, and Ole Lukoie.
The Art
H.C. Andersen challenged his creativity on other fields than the purely literary. The poet was visually talented and the ability “to watch” expressed itself both in his art of writing and in the fantastic papercuts and drawings which are on view in the room “The Art”.
[From January 30 to May 17 2010 the exhibition in "The Art" is closed on account of the exhibition "Scissors for a Brush". Here you can see Karen Bit Vejle's fantastic papercuts]
Hans Christian Andersen: Three-headed figure
Throughout his life, Hans Christian Andersen had a enormous imagination, something which the writer thought of both as a great gift and a curse. 'I am like water, everything brings me in motion. Everything is mirrored in me. This must be part of my nature as a creative writer and often I have derived pleasure and blessing from it, although often it has also been a torment,' the 50-year-old writer wrote to his friend Edvard Collin in 1855. Hans Christian Andersen also challenged his creativity on other fields than the purely literary. His papercuts and drawings are examples of his great imagination and need for creativity.
The Art Room in The Hans Christian Andersen Museum
In the art room a large and varied selection of the writer's fantastic papercuts and drawings are presented, and on an information stand visitors have the opportunity to study the entire museum collection of papercuts and drawings. Visitors can see the large pair of scissors he used and marvel at the fact that with such a pair he was able to do such delicate, detailed work. On the information stands, the papercuts and drawings are linked to his original work. Many of the drawings underline the descriptions found in fairytales and novels, and plays on words are often concealed in the papercuts. Hans Christian Andersen's pictorial art gives a very powerful impression of the creativity of his mind.