Tove Jansson is one of Europe's most celebrated cartoonists, and her most famous creation, the Moomins, are beloved all around the world, having spawned cartoons, films and even a theme park. Recently, an archive of uncatalogued art by the cartoonist was discovered in the British Cartoon Archive that will be displayed in a retrospective hosted by the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Announced today via The Guardian, the Finnish cartoonist's lesser seen work was found among materials sent into storage by the now-defunct London Evening News, which had serialized Jansson's work. The Moomins debuted in 1945, and Jansson worked on the characters throughout her career up until 1993. During that time she also maintained her commitment to other forms of art and illustration.

Among the works on display are contributions to the Finnish satirical magazine Garm, which Jansson began contributing to while still a teenager, and works of fine art art and illustration, including self-portraits and landscapes, alongside recently recovered art for the Moomins cartoon strip.

Speaking to The Guardian, the lead curator of the exhibition Sointu Fritze commented “Although the family circle – both the artist’s own and the fictional Moomin family – is central, the door is always open for those seeking shelter”; a reference to both the central themes of the property and also subtle shade towards the current political climate in the United Kingdom.

The Tove Jansson retrospective will be displayed at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London from 25 October 2017 to 28 January 2018.

 

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