Exhibition explores world of Winnie-the-Pooh
A new exhibition in Atlanta celebrates Winnie-the-Pooh, wandering through his magical world and giving visitors a peek behind the scenes at the people, relationships and inspirations behind the “silly old bear” and his friends.
“Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic” opened Sunday at the High Museum of Art. It highlights the intensely collaborative relationship between author A.A. Milne and illustrator E.H. Shepard, who brought the stories to life, and guides visitors through those tales and their lessons. “It’s the idea that a writer can imagine a whole world but the written descriptions can only go so far, and then the illustrations take you the next step,” said Virginia Shearer, the High’s director of education.
Milne invited Shepard to his home to draw portraits of his son’s toy animals “from life” and hosted Shepard at his country home so he could observe and sketch the trees and landscapes that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood, where Pooh and friends live. Some of the pencil-sketched studies that resulted are on display in a part of the exhibition that explores their collaboration.
The exhibition is a continuation of a series at the High that puts the spotlight on children’s book authors and illustrators.
“I think with all of these projects we’re encouraging people to look closely at what they have at home and realize they have works of art in their own homes,” said co-presenting curator Ginia Sweeney. Another goal, she said, is to provide children with skills they can use to visit and enjoy the rest of the museum and to give parents the tools to help them. Shearer and Sweeney said they hope the exhibition inspires children to get outside, away from screens, to have adventures.
The exhibition was organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. After its U.S. premiere at the High Museum, where it will be on view from Sunday through Sept. 2, the exhibition is set to be on display at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts from Sept. 22 through Jan. 6 before heading to Japan.