Two Pierrots Balancing on Swans and Two Dancers
Hans Christian Andersen Danish
Andersen made many of his paper cuts—which were completely independent of his written fairy tales, but with stories all their own—as gifts for the children of family and friends. Certain imagery and forms repeat across these works, such as the ballerinas dancing on butterfly wings and the lively pierrots balanced on long-necked swans, which can also be found in different configurations in the more elaborate cut-out in the collection (2012.379). Like many of Andersen’s cut-outs, the one here was originally mounted in an album, most likely juxtaposed with verses, clippings, or other collected ephemera.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
