...Hans Christian Andersen’s drawings
The majority part of Hans Christian Andersen’s drawings derive from his two journeys: “Educational Journey” to Italy 1833-34 and “Oriental Journey” to Greece and Turkey 1840-41. The drawing above bears the title: “Public-house Room in Pianore Between Florence and Bologna April 16 1834”.
...Hans Christian Andersen made this fantastic papercut for Dorothea Melchior
He wrote on it “A papercutting by Hans Christian Andersen for Mrs. Melchior née Henriques 1874”,. The papercut summarizes a number of the motifs which Hans Christian Andersen liked to use in his papercuts, e.g.: Millman, goblins, Pierrot, ballerinas, skulls, swans, figures with umbrellas, masks, angels, hearts, and Ole Lukoie.
Children’s ’gækkebreve’
April 1 – May 4 2009
In the spring of 2009 a large number of ‘gækkebreve’ made by 4th classes from Agedrup Skole, Tarup Skole, Skt. Hans Skole, and Søhusskolen under guidance of the painter Sonia Brandes were exhibited in The Hans Christian Andersen Museum.
The intention with the educational course as well as with the exhibition was to bring the tradition with ‘gækkebreve’ into focus, which is unique in Denmark, and to strengthen this concentration and creative insight which emerge when children under expert guidance are given the possibility to cut in paper.
In The Hans Christian Andersen Museum the fine results were exhibited under the same roof as the poet’s own fantastic papercuts. The educational course and the exhibition were brought into existence as a co-operation between Sonia Brandes, Odense Municipality, and The Hans Christian Andersen Museum.
Facts about ‘gækkebreve’
The tradition with ‘gækkebreve’ is unique in Denmark. To ‘gække’ means to tease or trick somebody and the idea is that the receiver of the letter has to guess the name of the sender. If the receiver can’t guess the name he or she must give an Easter egg to the sender and is made a fool of until next February. On the contrary, if the receiver guesses the name of the sender it is the sender who owes an egg and is made a fool of.
The tradition dates as far back as 1600 where sending so-called bind letters on people’s name day was widespread in the aristocracy and the higher classes of society. At that time most people were named after a saint, and thus the saint’s day became the person’s name day.