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Writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak is regarded as one of the most celebrated picture book artists in history. His most famous title, Where The Wild Things Are, was published in 1963. Since then, it has grown into a classic, having been translated to over 40 languages and continuously charming children of all ages for generations. To shine a light on the artist and author's work, the Denver Art Museum has put together an exhibition titled Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak.
The exhibit boasts a selection of 400 objects, sketches, drawings, paintings, and mockups. Most notably, the show marks the first time all original Where The Wild Things Are paintings are exhibited. Rounding out the collection are the set designs of the opera, composed by Oliver Knussen, and costumes from the live-action 2009 movie—an assortment that has become a reality thanks to loans from The Morgan Library & Museum in New York and Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.
“Maurice Sendak’s art tells stories of courage, adventure, resilience, curiosity, and a deep understanding of the human desire for connection and discovery,” says Christoph Heinrich, museum director and co-curator of this exhibition. “Sendak’s identity and experiences as a first-generation American, combined with the legacy and heritage of his Polish Jewish family, especially through WWII and the Holocaust, make his personal perspective and artistic insight immensely valuable, powerful, and timeless.”
Visitors will also get to see items related to Sendak's other books, such as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, and Nutshell Library. To truly capture the vast imagination of Sendak, the exhibit also presents items related to other facets of his work. For example, his turn as a stage designer for theater productions such as The Magic Flute and The Nutcracker in the 1980s. The multidisciplinary approach of his work, which led him to collaborate with distinguished directors, musicians, and visual artists such as Carole King, Spike Jonze, and Tony Kushner, is at the heart of the exhibition.
Wild Things also leaves room for Sendak's personal collection, establishing how he found inspiration in creators he admired, such as William Blake, Winsor McCay, Beatrix Potter, George Stubbs, and Walt Disney. With this, the curators aim to offer a better, deeper understanding of how Sendak brought his ideas through life during his 65-year career, elevating and transforming the picture book into the medium it is today.
“Sendak’s art has been meaningful for so many of us and will certainly be for future generations,” Heinrich said. “Wild Things not only offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy his original drawings for these books, but also to explore Sendak’s artistry and the depth and complexity of his exhaustively creative mind.”
Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak will be on view through February 17, 2025. To learn more, visit Denver Art Museum's website.
The Denver Art Museum honors the work of the late Maurice Sendak with a new exhibition.
Titled Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak, the exhibit boasts a selection of 400 objects, sketches, drawings, paintings, and mockups.
Most notably, the show marks the first time all original Where The Wild Things Are paintings are exhibited.
Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are , 1963, watercolor, ink, and graphite on paper, 9 3/4 x 11 in. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation
“Maurice Sendak’s art tells stories of courage, adventure, resilience, curiosity and a deep understanding of the human desire for connection and discovery,” says museum director Christoph Heinrich.
Visitors will also get to see items related to Sendak's other books, such as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, and Nutshell Library.
Maurice Sendak, detail from the title page of Where the Wild Things Are, 1963, watercolor and ink on paper, page: 9 7/8 x 22 in. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation
To truly capture the vast imagination of Sendak, the exhibit also presents items related to other facets of his work, as well as collaborations with musicians and film directors.
“Wild Things not only offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy his original drawings for these books, but also to explore Sendak’s artistry and the depth and complexity of his exhaustively creative mind.”
The curators aim to offer a better, deeper understanding of how Sendak brought his ideas through life during his 65-year career.
Maurice Sendak, Rosie and Buttermilk, her Cat , character studies for Really Rosie animation, 1973, watercolor and ink on paper, 13 3/4 x 15 5/8 in. ©The Maurice Sendak Foundation
Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak will be on view through February 17, 2025.
