Great Claus and Little Claus. Andersen’s Fairy Tales. New York, 1943.

SZYK, Arthur. Great Claus and Little Claus. Signed and Dated “Arthur Szyk N.Y. (19)43”. Original illustration for the chapter of the same name in Andersen’s Fairy Tales, NY Grosset & Dunlap, 1945. Pen and ink on paper. Sheet size: 7″ x 5 1/2″. Image size: 3 1/2″ x 4″. Very Good condition.

This is Szyk’s portrayal of the men Great Claus and Little Claus, so named because one (Great Claus) had four horses, and the other (Little Claus) had only one.

All of the characters in this story are rather simple folk, but that does not spell a surfeit of ethical innocence or a lack of scheming. Great Claus kills Little Claus’s only horse and (seemingly) Little Claus’s old grandmother, and Little Claus manages to turn his tragedies into bushels full of money after he manipulates others in the town. Full of greed, Great Claus also kills his own horses and grandmother in his unsuccessful quest to achieve the same financial profit.

Great Claus and Little Claus are drawn in Szyk’s distinct caricature style, their personality traits plainly upon their faces. The question for the observer is: which is which? The larger figure may be a natural choice for Great Claus, but there is no connection in the story between stature and name (“Great”, “Little”), and furthermore, at one point in the story Great Claus was carried in a sack thrown over Little Claus’s shoulder. Thus, perhaps then the smaller figure is Great Claus. Szyk leaves the viewer with a fascinating exercise of figuring an answer out.

Andersen’s Fairy Tales was not the only book Szyk produced for children (his Pathways Though the Bible has been read by millions). It is, however, the only full volume that blends his pen and ink caricatures with his big-eyed, rosy cheeked juvenile style. His designs for Christmas cards and other holiday greetings were never mass-produced or gathered into any complete portfolio. These splendid, vibrant portrayals for children are rare on the market.

Publishing History: Andersen’s Fairy Tales. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1945.