20

William Wallace Denslow

(1856-1915)

1st edition, Wizard of Oz. "Once in a while she would pass a house..." 1899.

Pen and ink over a graphite underdrawing on Strathmore board.
Signed "Den" and with seahorse monogram, lower left.

Publication:
Illustration for the first edition of Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Chicago: George M. Hill, 1900), Chapter III, page 33.
17 1/2 x 13 1/2 in. (44.5 x 34.3 cm.), Frame: 25 x 21 in. (63.5 x 53.3 cm.)

  • Provenance:
    Private Collection, Virginia.

    Other notes:
    This original illustration for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) depicts the moment when Dorothy marvels at the beauty of the Munchkin countryside, with its neat blue fences, plentiful farmlands, and round, domed houses. As she walks along the road, the grateful Munchkins emerge from their homes to greet her respectfully, honoring the girl who freed them from the Wicked Witch. The illustration features Boq, the Munchkin who plays a major role in Wicked, the novel, musical, and movie. Denslow here defines the unusual architecture of Munchkin cottages, giving them their whimsical faces. Oz artist John R. Neill would later pick up where Denslow left off.

    Executed in pen and ink over graphite on Strathmore board, the work exemplifies Denslow's characteristic line clarity, decorative stylization, and economy of form, qualities that became hallmarks of early twentieth-century American book illustration.

    The majority of Denslow's original drawings for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz are preserved in the Print Collection of the New York Public Library, making extant examples in private hands exceedingly rare. Only four known original illustrations from the Oz series have previously appeared at public auction. This work, therefore, presents an uncommon opportunity to examine Denslow's draftsmanship and process firsthand.
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