Monday 15 January 2018















I'm suffering from a bad attack of January lethargy; not being a morning person, I never seem to catch the day before it's nearly over and it doesn't seem worth setting out. But at long last, having been scheduling a visit to Dulwich Picture Gallery pretty much every day since before Christmas, I made it to the Tove Jansson exhibition for the last hour or so yesterday afternoon ... and it was packed, busier than I'd ever seen it there before. Silly me, when I could easily have gone on a weekday. (It would have been a good idea to book.)

I have to confess that I've never read the Moomin books; I'm not sure that they'd have appealed to me as a child. Now I can see their charm.
But there's only so many Moomins you can take in one afternoon. I was interested to see her satirical illustrations from the 1930s - when, if you look closely, the Snork sometimes appears beside her signature ...



And her extraordinary illustrations for Alice in Wonderland.

This is her take on Gollum from The Hobbit, more like a startled woodland spirit than the slimy creature of my imagination.



For all that she wanted to be taken seriously as a painter, her paintings aren't terribly interesting - apart from a series of self-portraits.



On the way home I kept my eyes peeled for snowdrops - I still haven't seen my first snowdrop, possibly because I've barely been out in daylight. No luck - I'm desperate for a glimmer of spring - but I did pick a branch of catkins and they're now in a vase with a wonderfully garish bunch of tulips which makes me smile every time I look at them. First bunch of the year. There were sweet williams in Tesco but that just ain't right!

9 comments:

landscape said...

Oh I'm glad its not just me with the dormouse days.I finally made it to the Dega at the Fitzwilliam on the last afternoon.Its a boost isn't it.

Mary said...

I wish I could say that I was so energised that today I sprang back to life, Angela - but I didn't. Is it just me, or is it worse than usual this year?

Lucille said...

Sainsbury's had my number with a display of yellow tulips and a yellow table runner saying 'Buy me!' Better than the wall of alcohol that's usually there at the entrance.
I didn't read the Moomins as a child and they left me cold as an adult too. I think I liked just one painting. It was of a friend at her drawing board. I forced myself out into the garden and found under all the dead leaves neglected from last year, a few shooting snowdrops but no flowers.

Mary said...

I was convinced that snowdrops were out there if only I forced myself out for a walk, Lucille! Now I'll take your word for it and retreat back inside.
Have you read The Summer Book? I really enjoyed that, very poignant.

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...

I watched a really interesting programme about Tove J last year on BBC4.

I never read the Moomins; I would have found them too childish when I was a child. I thought I was very sophisticated!

I have read the 'Summer Book' and have the 'Winter Book' on my TBR...

mary said...

Yes, I remember that programme, it was very good. I've also had The Winter Book sitting here for ages.

Lucille said...

Yes and Winter. I did enjoy those.

landscape said...

Yes , it is worse this year - antidotes essential ( see my post re marmalade if you like .)

Mary said...

Blood orange marmalade - that sounds delicious! (Red oranges, according to Tesco - honestly, that's even worse than blush oranges! Are people really so squeamish?)
I'm about to make a marmalade cake - bought marmalade, sadly - just waiting for the rock-hard butter to soften.