Maurice Sendak

Over his career as an author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak reenvisaged the nature of storytelling through unique and diverse artistic styles steeped in many art-historical traditions. The creator of Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, and Higglety Pigglety Pop!, Sendak was incredibly prolific in his practice and his works continue to inspire generations of children and

1963 was the pivotal year in Sendak’s career, in which his instant hit Where the Wild Things Are was published. After illustrating several author’s children’s books in the 50s, Sendak began writing his own stories as well. Where the Wild Things Are’s imaginative vision, fanciful characters and nuanced portrayal of a child’s experiences won international acclaim, including the 1964 Caldecott Gold Medal. Its characters, or Wild Things, have since become deeply beloved symbols of American literature.

A native New Yorker, Sendak did not seek a formal education in the arts, but rather was largely self-taught in terms of both his technical ability and his understanding of art culture. Sendak was inspired by early Disney animations, specifically Pinocchio and Fantasia. On the walls of his studios, first in Greenwich Village and later in Ridgewood, CT, he curated a large collection of reference pictures, or talismans for his own creative process. Chief among Sendak’s loves was William Blake. The visionary and dreamlike character of Blake’s works also characterizes much of Sendak’s own output, and Sendak often quotes directly from Blake. Later in his life, Sendak even sought out and collected Blake’s own exceptionally rare hand-colored printings of Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. Among Sendak’s touchstones were also works by George Stubbs, Carl Wilhelm Kolbe, Philipp Otto Runge, Winslow Homer and Beatrix Potter.

As an artist, writer, student and collector, Maurice Sendak crafted a profound and lasting legacy as one of America’s most respected creative minds.

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

MAURICE SENDAK (1928-2012)

A Literary Feast

A Wild Thing for Peace

Maurice Sendak's 'Night' Trilogy—Signed