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Author
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Comment
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Artist
Registered User
(4/23/03 5:32 am)
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Kay Nielsen art
Hi,
I'm new to this board and came across you while researching
a tipped book plate I have, titled "The Lassie and her Godmother, 1914".
I can't find any pictures showing this illustration which is
a black-robed madonna figure on the right side, standing
on blue smoke-like clouds.
A gray robed priest standing behind a kneeling, white robed
girl on the left side.
Can anyone enlighten me with additional information on
this particular piece?
Thanks,
Artist
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Rebecca
Unregistered User
(4/24/03 6:10 am)
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Re: Kay Nielsen art
The tale, "The Lassie and Her Godmother" with the Nielsen illustration comes from a translation of Norwegian tales - originally collected by Asbjornsen and Moe - done by Sir George Dasent in 1914 under the title East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North. This particular edition, with color plates of Nielsen's art, has since been reissued by the Folio Society.
The tale is about a poor couple who have a daughter that they cannot afford to baptise. Out of desperation, they give the child to a pleasant looking woman who says that she will pay for the child's baptism if she can keep her. The girl goes to live with this woman and when she has grown up, the godmother forbids her from opening three chambers in her house. Inevitably the girl disobeys, and out of the first chamber flies a star, out of the second the moon, and the third the sun. As punishment the godmother tells the girl she must leave her house, but before she does she must choose either to be the most beautiful woman alive, yet mute, or the ugliest and retain her ability to speak; the girl chooses to be beautiful and mute. She ends up marrying a prince and has three children, but her godmother decides to punish her further by taking the children and leaving blood smeared on the girl's face, so that people believe she has eaten the children and decide she should be burnt at the stake. Just as this is about to happen, her godmother appears (who turns out to be the Virgin Mary), returning the three children and giving the girl back her ability to speak, saying that she has now paid for her transgression and they can all live happily ever after.
The picture you have is of this last scene in the story. If you are just interested in reading the story yourself it shouldn't be hard to find in most editions of Norse fairy tales. The folio editions are rather expensive, but probably not as expensive as the 1914 ed. Anyway, I hope this is of some help to you.
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Artist
Registered User
(4/24/03 1:20 pm)
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Kay Nielsen Art
Thanks,
I appreciate your reply with this interesting story,
I shall try to find a copy to read.
Yours,
Artist
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