A Fully Cut Fairy Tale

Hans Christian Andersen

ca. 1864 · Paper cutout · Drawings and Prints

One of the world’s most remarkable storytellers, Andersen was also an enthusiastic amateur paper cutter. He folded this large sheet three times to create a fantastic scene filled with masks, pierrots, ballet dancers, angels, swans, and palm trees. Andersen often cut sheets as he told stories to entertain friends and their children, but none of the cut-outs directly correspond with his published tales. Rather, they communicate their own whimsical narratives, a "fully cut fairy tale," as his inscription indicates here. Andersen sold this work to raise funds to support the relatives of fallen Danish soldiers during the Second Schleswig War of 1864.

Artist

Hans Christian Andersen

Date

ca. 1864

Medium

Paper cutout

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund and Mary Martin Fund, 2012