75 years of Madeline

In honor of the 75th anniversary of everyone’s favorite French schoolgirl, our Art Books specialist Christine von der Linn submitted this post.

This Saturday, September 6, 2014, marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. Her birthday is being celebrated around the world, but especially here in New York City, where Bemelmans made his home. The New-York Historical Society has a show up through October 19 celebrating Madeline in New York: The Art of Ludwig Bemelmans.

The famous opening lines of the book–and the following books in the series–that introduced the world to the beloved boarding school student began:

In an old house in Paris
That was covered in vines
Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.

Nearly everyone who read and adored the books can recite the rhyme from memory. An appreciation of the fearless and intrepid little redhead and the impression she left on her readers is what drives people to collect the first editions of the books and examples of original artwork from them. 

“The purpose of art is to console and amuse – myself, and, I hope, others.”

_{Ludwig Bemelmans}

Do you have an original Madeline drawing by Ludwig Bemelmans?

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