For Immediate Release- April 8, 2013
Contact: Kenneth Turino
kturino@historicnewengland.org
617-994-5958
Tufts University Art Gallery
at The Shirley and Alex Aidekman Arts Center
40 Talbot Avenue, Medford, MA 02155
http://artgallery.tufts.edu
The Wonder Smith: Children’s Book Illustrations of Boris Artzybasheff
On View May 6-19, 2013;
Public Opening Reception May 6, 5:30-8 pm
Captivating Illustrations Bring Children’s Tales to Life;
Experience the Wonder of Storytelling through One Artist and His Craft
MEDFORD (April 8, 2013)—Astonishing folk-inspired images from the whimsical children’s
book illustrations of distinguished artist Boris Artzybasheff (1899-1965) are the subject of the
first solo exhibition of these works. The Tufts University Art Gallery will present The Wonder
Smith: Children’s Book Illustrations of Boris Artzybasheff, which features a variety of prints
from the Boston Public Library’s John D. Merriam Collection, on view from May 6 through
May 19, 2013. A public opening reception is scheduled for Monday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. The
exhibition showcases over 40 black-and-white works—many accompanied by excerpts from the
fanciful stories they depict—that convey the creative and technical genius of Boris Artzybasheff.
The exhibition will introduce visitors to the artist’s prolific 20-year career as an illustrator of
children’s books and will highlight some of his original woodblock engravings.
Artzybasheff’s innovative, stylized approach reveals a keen ability to translate word into
image—a product of his childhood in Russia as well as the cosmopolitan atmosphere of New
York City in the early 20th century. Drawing on his experiences in architectural design, his
children’s book illustrations challenge traditional uses of positive and negative space.
Artzybasheff utilized a series of complex techniques to create each work, beginning his sketches
in charcoal and combining inkwork, woodcutting, and careful study of both the animate and
inanimate forms to bring written narratives to life. Several unpublished images that detail the
intricacies of his work are also presented in the exhibition.
The playful and elegant use of pen and ink is reflected in Artzybasheff’s re-telling of the Russian
folktale “Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale.” Four cover variants exhibit the use of bold colors,
intricate lettering, and precise line work. These elements fuse together to create an image that
captures the entrancing tale of seven skilled brothers on a quest to find a queen for their king. As
a testament to the creativity and imagination of the artist “Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale” was
chosen among hundreds of submissions in 1938 as a Caldecott Honor Book.
The exhibition will also display striking illustrations he created for other children’s books in the
1920s and 1930s, such as “Creatures,” “Verotchka’s Tales,” and “Poor Shaydullah.”
Artzybasheff provided visual commentary for a broad range of children’s narratives, including
his own written work. These works call attention to the styles that the artist expressed throughout
his children’s book career.
This exhibition is curated by students from the Tufts University Museum Studies Program, part
of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
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Boris Artzybasheff (1899-1965)
Upon immigrating to the United States in 1919 after fleeing Russia during the Revolution, Boris
Artzybasheff immersed himself in graphic design and began illustrating books for publishers
who sought fresh perspectives to appeal to the growing immigrant population of 1920s America.
The artist illustrated over 30 books during a time of literary and artistic freedom in New York
City and experimented with techniques and styles that culminated in his illustrations for TIME
magazine, published from 1940 until his death in 1965. Artzybasheff’s career illustrating
children’s books spans almost 20 years, beginning in 1922 with “Verotchka’s Tales” and ending
with “Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale” in 1937. He brought to life folk-inspired stories from
around the world, even penning his own tale about a beggar seeking the answers to his
prayers (“Poor Shaydullah,” 1931). The John D. Merriam Collection at the Boston Public
Library houses more than 100 of Artzybasheff’s original wood-block engravings and sable brush
illustrations from his early career in children’s book illustrations as well as examples of his later
work creating advertisements and magazine covers.
Tufts University Art Gallery
Located since 1991 in the Shirley and Alex Aidekman Arts Center on the main Tufts campus in
Medford, the Tufts University Art Gallery is a recognized player in the active contemporary art
scene in the Boston metropolitan area and an unparalleled campus resource for fostering visual
literacy and critical thinking skills. The Gallery's mission is to animate the intellectual life of the
greater university community through exhibitions and programs that explore new, global
perspectives on art and art discourse. The Gallery is open to the public 11 am to 5 pm, Tuesday
through Sunday and until 8 pm on Thursday; $3 suggested donation.
About the Boston Public Library
Boston Public Library has a Central Library, twenty-five branches, a literacy center, map
center, business library, and a website filled with digital content and services. Established in
1848, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service in America. It was the first
publicly supported municipal library in America, the first public library to lend books, the first to
have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. Each year, the Boston Public
Library hosts thousands of programs and serves millions of people. All of its programs and
exhibitions are free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the
beginning. To learn more, visit www.bpl.org.
The John D. Merriam Collection at the Boston Public Library
In 1974 Boston lawyer John D. Merriam began his annual donation of collected children's book
prints to the Boston Public Library's Print Department. As the the collection of gifts grew, the
Boston Public Library decided to create an exhibition and catalog for the prints entitled “The
Artist and the Child.” Every year for 10 years the exhibition was featured in the library's Wiggin
Gallery, curated by Merriam himself. In 1991 Merriam gifted his entire collection of art and
children's books to the Merriam Collection and designated the Boston Public Library as the
primary beneficiary of his will.