Celebrating Maurice Sendak at the Society of Illustrators

A Thurber drawing in the permanent collection at the Society of Illustrators.

Ewan and I had fun yesterday with children’s book scholar Michael Patrick Hearn at the Society of Illustrators on E. 63rd St in Manhattan for an exhibit and sale of paintings, drawings, etchings, and posters by Maurice Sendak. Lovely work by a true master artist. The Society was founded in 1901, and their narrow townhouse building is beautifully kept up, with a handsome cafe bar and patio on the third floor. It’ll be fun to go back for a drink later this summer. The permanent collection at the Society is also excellent, including works by Norman Rockwell, James Thurber (see picture here, two figures and a dog, in his signature style). In 2012, as a tribute to Sendak, I wrote about a censorious customer in my bookstore, Undercover Books, who vehemently demanded we stop selling his book In the Night Kitchen, which you can read about here. Michael Patrick Hearn wrote an even more personal eulogy to Sendak in 2012. It was a treat to spend the afternoon appreciating the art of Maurice Sendak in this exhibit put on by Battledore Ltd. #childrensbooks #art #NYC #MauriceSendak #SocietyofIllustrators