Quentin joins celebrations for 'The Snowman's 40th anniversary
Tuesday 4th December 2018
Nine leading children’s book artists including Quentin Blake, Shirley Hughes and Chris Riddell have recreated Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman in their own style, paying tribute to it as part of celebrations for the picture book’s 40th anniversary.
“The Snowman is a sublime piece of visual storytelling that has entered the imaginations of generations of children,” said Riddell. “I was very lucky to be taught by Raymond Briggs and have boasted about this fact for many years. The Snowman was a huge influence on me as an illustrator as was the insight and encouragement of the man who made him.” Quentin's picture pays tribute to the Snowman's scarf, which Quentin always felt was not long enough.
The Snowman, a wordless picture book, was first published in 1978 and soon became a Christmas classic, with an animated TV version from 1982 shown in the UK nearly every Christmas.
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is showing a special exhibition of Raymond Briggs' original artworks from the book, together with stills from the animated film and the nine new celebratory artworks.
The new illustrations are being auctioned to benefit Raymond Briggs’s chosen charity, Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice, of which he is a Patron. The online auction is live until 6th January 2019 at www.fundraising.bid/mysnowman