Edward Gorey hated Christmas. This oft repeated statement has grown to mythic status, no doubt encouraged Edward Gorey's gleeful hyperbole on the subject when asked about the holiday season. But is the statement fact? If Edward Gorey did indeed hate Christmas, he certainly didn't express his disdain through his art. In fact, almost every Christmas image he created expresses a childlike wonder and sense of good will for the season.
Beginning in the late 1940's and continuing throughout his career Edward Gorey created so many delightful holiday images that the Christmas Season is a major collecting subcategory within his work. There have been multitudes of Gorey Christmas collectibles produced in the form of books, greeting cards, post cards, gift tags, wrapping paper and mugs. Even with so much material, it is rare to come across Christmas themed original artwork available for purchase.
It was a special thrill therefore to be able to have the opportunity to acquire an exceptional piece of original Gorey art with a Christmas theme. Christmas in the Eggplant Hills is a pen and ink drawing created for the Albondocani Press in 1989. The image graced a limited edition Christmas card that was printed in a run of 400 cards. This was the ninth of ten Christmas card images that Edward Gorey created between 1975 and 1990 for the Press.
When publisher George Bixby would ask Edward Gorey to create Christmas card images for the Albondocani Press, it was not until the artwork arrived that Mr. Bixby knew what the images would be. Eggplant Hills is one of more enigmatic and quirky drawings created for the series and is full of wonderful details. With the assistance of a long necked creature of unspecified origin, rabbits dressed in "Christmas plaid" are decorating an effigy (or possibly a scarecrow) with baubles. The endearingly childlike characters look like they stepped out of a nursery toy box as they diligently set about their decorating.
Christmas in the Eggplant Hills is one of three pieces of original art from the Albondocani Christmas card series that was listed by W. C. Baker Rare Books & Ephemera. The second piece of art, In Stubville, Nebraska... is another delightful holiday image that includes a man in one of Edward Gorey's signature fur coats. It was difficult to decide which of these two pieces to acquire and in the end the more esoteric image won out. The Stubville artwork sold to another collector.
The third piece of art from the Albodocani Christmas card series was sold by Mr. Baker to another collector. Un cadeau ennuyeux (the boring gift) shows a stunned couple taking in the extravagantly spindly plant that the maid has just unwrapped. George Bixby never knew what would arrive from the artist when he asked for a Christmas card image and, like the Eggplant Hills image, this drawing is another prime example of expecting the unexpected from Edward Gorey's fertile imagination.
W.C. Baker Rare Books and Ephemera is currently listing the Joyeux Noel piece of original art by Edward Gorey shown at the top of this post. This rare piece of original artwork was created in the very early 1950's and while Christmas themed, it is not part of the Albondocani holiday series. (the sales listing for the Joyeux artwork can be found HERE)
(Images by Irwin Terry and courtesy W.C. Baker Rare Books and Ephemera)
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