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A Fully Cut Fairy Tale

ca. 1864
Not on view
One of the world’s most remarkable storytellers, Andersen was also an enthusiastic amateur paper cutter. He folded this large sheet three times to create a fantastic scene filled with masks, pierrots, ballet dancers, angels, swans, and palm trees. Andersen often cut sheets as he told stories to entertain friends and their children, but none of the cut-outs directly correspond with his published tales. Rather, they communicate their own whimsical narratives, a "fully cut fairy tale," as his inscription indicates here. Andersen sold this work to raise funds to support the relatives of fallen Danish soldiers during the Second Schleswig War of 1864.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: A Fully Cut Fairy Tale
  • Artist: Hans Christian Andersen (Danish, Odense 1805–1875 Copenhagen)
  • Date: ca. 1864
  • Medium: Paper cutout
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 13 9/16 x 13 1/4 in. (34.4 x 33.7 cm)
  • Classification: Cut Paper
  • Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund and Mary Martin Fund, 2012
  • Object Number: 2012.379
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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