Pastel drawing of Peter Pan.

Gould, Robert

Gould, Robert (illus.)

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1981. An original drawing of Peter Pan, in pencil and pastel on gray paper. Together with a manuscript poem written by Gould upon completion of the work. The drawing shows the face of Peter Pan gazing through a thicket of leaves and branches. His "ageless" eyes, as Gould describes them in his poem, are two slightly different earthy shades, hazel-brown and green, which give him an otherworldly appearance. The leaves are delicately colored with yellow pastel and highlighted with white. The color and texture of Peter's hair echoes that of the branches; he is truly part of nature. In the accompanying poem, Gould writes in Peter's voice: "At the wood's heart you will find me, / In each leaf and blade, / Beneath each rock and loam, / In shadows I wait." Signed in the bottom-left corner with Gould's initials. The drawing was commissioned by Anne Bromer when Gould was an emerging Massachusetts-based artist. Gould began his career as a fantasy artist, book designer, and illustrator, and his work has appeared on the covers of many popular fantasy series. In 1991, he left the field of book design to work in the film industry. The drawing measures approximately 16 1/4 by 12 inches, in a wooden frame measuring 19 1/2 by 15 3/4 inches. Later reproduced as a limited-edition poster. (Item ID: 23237)