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Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who is you-er than you!
Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, wrote those words in 1959 as the hallmark passage to his book, Happy Birthday to You! But like many Dr. Seuss books, what appears at first glance to be a phrase full of fun and whimsy is actually something infinitely more impactful.
Ted implores us to celebrate ourselves in these words and images. He inspires us to embrace our own unique qualities and express our differences to the world. This theme permeated much of his work throughout his career, always encouraging us to be true to ourselves and recognize the individual traits that make each one of us special.
There is No one Alive Who is You-er Than You!Mixed Media Pigment Print on Archival Canvas
Dimensions: 24”x 36”
Limited Edition of 850 Arabic Numbers, 99 Patrons’ Collection, 155 Collaborators’ Proofs, 5 Hors d’Commerce, and 2 Printer’s Proofs
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ART CONSULTANT
FOR ACQUISITION DETAILS
Ted’s simple use of pen and ink line drawings was a powerful way for him to create page-turning action that was attractive and engaging to a young audience. The flat colors used would pull us through his stories whether we were old enough to read the text or not, and this technique also solved the budgetary constraints of creating books that parents could easily afford for their children.
However, on very rare occasions, Ted was able to break with this tradition and create books with fully developed paintings in a wide spectrum of lush, blended colors. Happy Birthday to You! stands as one of the most important in that regard. Here, Ted takes his paintings to new heights, maintaining the fast paced action of his line drawings but infusing each page with a depth matched only by the private paintings he would create in his studio at night for his own enjoyment (known to most as his “secret art” or “midnight paintings”)
Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, at work on the paintings and text for Happy Birthday to You! (circa 1958)
Those familiar with Ted’s “midnight paintings” will recognize the crossover here. All of the nuance, architecture and immersive palette of his paintings are alive and well in the images done for Happy Birthday to You! It’s as if he pulled his easel over to his drawing table, switched his pens for paint and brushes, turned down the lights, and went to work creating one of the most dynamic series of paintings he’d ever embarked upon.
In 1957 Ted published two of his most renowned books, How The Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat. The results were unexpected. Ted catapulted to the top of children’s literature and also became one of America’s most renowned authors and illustrators. So powerful was the response to these works that Ted even transcended the literary genre to become a pop-culture icon.
Such accolades can be both flattering and off-putting. They can create a sense of confidence on one level and disbelief in one’s ability on another. “Am I really that good?” or, “How could I possibly follow-up that success?” are typical sentiments shared by many of us at times like these.
Ted appeared to be no exception, creating a string of midnight paintings around the late 1950’s and early 1960’s that seem to reveal his own vulnerability. Paintings such as Fooling Nobody, Lonely, Green Cat in Uleaborg Finland Subway and Self Portrait of the Artist Worrying About His Next Book all seem to deal with a mounting sense of self-doubt.
Fooling Nobody, Lonely, Green Cat in Uleaborg Finland Subway
and Self Portrait of the Artist Worrying About His Next Book
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ART CONSULTANT
FOR ACQUISITION DETAILS
In 1958/59, Ted painted the works for Happy Birthday to You! and penned the now famous passage, “There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” When read in the context of an artist feeling a sense of self-doubt, one could see this not only as a celebratory call-to-arms for his readers, but as a reminder to Ted Geisel HIMSELF to believe in, and celebrate, all that he had accomplished.
$1,895.00
| /
1,895 USD - Unframed
International Purchases: Prices are shown in US Dollars only and do not reflect local exchange rates. Local taxes, import duties or shipping & handling are not included. Please contact a gallery for local pricing.
Mixed Media Pigment Print on Archival Canvas
Authorized Estate Edition
Dimensions: 24”h x 36” w
Limited Edition of 850 Arabic Numbers
99 Patrons’ Collection
155 Collaborators’ Proofs
5 Hors d’Commerce
2 Printer’s Proofs
CLICK HERE for a complete overview of this artwork.
“Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”
Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, wrote those words in 1959 as the hallmark passage to his book, Happy Birthday to You! But like many Dr. Seuss books, what appears at first glance to be a phrase full of fun and whimsy is actually something infinitely more impactful.
Ted implores us to celebrate ourselves in these words and images. He inspires us to embrace our own unique qualities and express our differences to the world. This theme permeated much of his work throughout his career, always encouraging us to be true to ourselves and recognize the individual traits that make each one of us special.
