Eric Carle: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse

With the 2011 publication of Eric Carle’s book The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, the Museum is pleased to exhibit its original art. Executed in his signature colorfully-designed collage technique, the book encourages young artists to let their imagination run free. The story takes inspiration from an episode in Carle’s German school days when he was invited by his art teacher, Fridolin Kraus, to see the work of artists deemed “degenerate” by the Nazi regime. Among these artists was the German Expressionist Franz Marc, who painted horses blue. It was this freedom of expression that heightened Carle’s determination to become an artist.