Little Madeline is at it again, but this time with a big magician cloaked in a commanding red gown. In the Christmas spirit of giving, Madeline reaches up and offers him a plate of nourishment to chow down. She then unexpectedly asks him to help clean the dishes, and therein lies the humor. Compositionally, the two subjects are pushed to the foreground and set against a long horizontal table cock-a-block with nutritious sustenance for the towering magician. Bemelman's apparent loose and improvisational painting style is supported by his underlying understanding of academic compositional theory. Madeline's red hair is counterbalanced by the red pot to the extreme right, as the Magician's red shape acts as a fulcrum between both ends of the picture. Finally, this is a children's book, and the artist's style of childlike simplicity is a perfect match for the subject matter and audience. The full caption reads: "The magician, as he took his pill, said 'Ask me, Madeline, what you will.' Said she, 'I've cooked a dinner nutritious. Will you please help me with the dishes?'" Illustration published on pages 18-19 of the original special insert in the Christmas edition of McCall's magazine, 1956. Madeline's Christmas was later published as a hardcover bound edition in 1985 (New York: Viking Kestrel) with a different version of this illustration. Casein on board. 508x622 mm; 20x24½ inches. Signed "Bemelmans" in lower right. Professionally restored. Signed lower right Water-based paint on paper. Paper, as with almost all of Bemelmans' work, has toning. Paper is glued to heavy illustration board. Board has a slight warp, scattered foxing stains and surface blemishes, but overall presents well for a Bemelmans.
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