The works of Edgar Allan Poe did not become popular successes until after the troubled author’s mysterious death, but his penchant for evoking bizarre and gothic imagery was not lost upon illustrators.
The “Picturing Poe” exhibit at the Brandywine River Museum consists of original paintings, drawings, prints and even some first-edition books by the author, borrowed from public and private collections, which provide a glimpse of how various artists have portrayed the imagery found in Poe’s works such as “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Artists such as Edouard Manet, Gustave Dore, Arthur Rackham, Paul Gauguin, Harry Clarke, Robert Motherwell and F. O. C. Darley — the latter was the illustrator chosen by Poe to provide artwork for the story “The Gold-Bug” — will have examples of their work on display at the exhibit, with styles of art ranging from stark realism to theatrical melodrama to abstract expressionism. Each piece reflects the artist’s own reactions to the works of one of the most captivating writers of history.
IF YOU GO
WHEN: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. today through Nov. 15
WHERE: Brandywine River Museum, 1 Hoffmans Mill Road in Chadds Ford, Delaware County
COST: $12, $8 for seniors, $6 for ages 6-12; free for ages 5 and younger
INFO: www.brandywinemuseum.org; 610-388-2700