Children in a Museum

In my previous posting, I was saying how nice it was to be in an exhibition where the walls are covered in works drawn by Edward Gorey. This is the kind of exhibition most Gorey collectors dream about. I have a piece of original artwork in which Mr. Gorey has created his own fantasy art exhibition. Given his eclectic tastes in all things, perhaps this is his version of an ideal gallery show.

Children in a Museum is a piece of art originally created for the December 1997 issue of Town & Country Magazine for an article entitled Art Is Fun... Appearing on page 93, the image illustrates an article about the pleasures and problems of taking children to a museum. The article offers advice on how to make the experience pleasurable for both the parent and child, and points out some of the pitfalls that can occur when a child decides to act like a child. In one example taken from an actual experience, the author suggests having opera glasses handy to help spot a child hiding under a bed in a roped off period room.

In the magazine, the image is printed slightly larger than the original artwork, which is 5.75" x 8". This large piece of art is full of great details and wonderfully humorous situations. The gallery pictured also contains one of craziest assemblages of paintings imaginable. The artwork covers periods of art from Renaissance to Modern, and even has time for dessert above the door as you leave the gallery! I am especially fond of the painting of Judith and Holofernes which is delighting the small child and distressing the guardian.