Hans Christian Andersen's Paper Cuts in The Royal Library.
The Portman Collection


1:1 

Large

Cut + poem

Mill man.

11 x 16,5 cm.

Made in Edinburgh August 17 1847 for Miss Ross.

List no. 42.

1:1 

Large

Book marker. Paper cuts on silk with witch and owl.

6 x 24 cm.

Has belonged to Louise Drewsen, born Collin, or her aunt Louise Lind, born Collin.

List no. 279, Cat. 474-76.

1:1 

Large

Toy theatre with dancers.

15 x 19 cm.

Sigfride Bille has told in a letter of July 9 1950: "This paper cut of Hans Christian Andersen has belonged to countess Raben, born Krogh on Lekkende at Præstø. She has herited it from Miss Charlotte E. Raben, a sister to her husband count Jonas Raben. Hans Christian Andersen often visited Nysø and the Stampe family, who were close neighbours to the Raben family on Lekkende. - My grandmother, countess Raben, a long time ago gave me the paper cut." The paper cut was bought in 1962 by Francis Edwards, Ltd. at Sotheby's, and later sold to Rosenkilde and Bagger.

List no. 280. Cat. 477.

1:1 

Large

Silhouette with rising figures: a dancer and a harlequin. A figure from the neck has been lost.

7 x 11 cm.

Told by Karen Egede Albrecher: "This silhouette is cut by Hans Christian Andersen and given to my paternal grandmother Misses Sporon, born Bjerregaard, who met Hans Christian Andersen in the home of Governor of the National Bank, Lindemann."

List no. 281. Cat. 478

Medium 

Large

Large woman in green with apron.

33 x 28 cm.

List no. 282. Cat. 479.

1:1 

Large

The Corvette "Galathea" in the harbour of Constantinople.

13 x 9 cm.

About the paper cut Anders S. A. Bille has told the following, dated August 14, 1922: "Silhouette, cut by professor Hans Christian Andersen and given to his godson Steen Andersen Bille (my father). S. A. Bille gave it June 30, 1884 to his godson Carl Steen Kalani Hedemann. In 1910 C. S. K. Hedeman sent it back to S. A. Bille in order to give it to his sons. By the death of S. A. Bille I became the owner."

List no. 283. Cat. 480.

1:1 

Large

Mill man.

21,5 x 23 cm.

Has belonged to Mathilde Ørsted, the daughter of H. C. Ørsted.

List no. 284. Cat. 481.

1:1 

Large

Symmetrical paper cut.

5,5 x 6,5 cm. (only the paper cut)

Lay as a book marker in Goethe's "Faust" (1847) with a dedication to Jonas Collin.

List no. 285. Cat. 482.

1:1 

Large

Flower man.

18,5 x 26 cm.

Silhouette, given to the botanist J. M. C. Lange during one of Hans Christian Andersen's visits in 1848 to B. S. Ingemann in Sorø, at the time when Lange was temporary senior master at the academy. Notice the allusions to botany: head of sunflower, fingers as leaves...

List no. 287. Cat. 484.

Medium 

Large

Paper cuts, letter and photo in glass and frame.

55 x 44 cm.

Cat. 490-493. (See single takings beneath).

1:1 

Dancers.

21 x 3,5 cm.

Cat. 490-493.

1:1 

Mill man.

13,5 x 13 cm.

Kat. 490-493.

1:1 

Large

Men with dancers.

13,5 x 8 cm.

Cat. 490-493.

1:1 

Piece of scenery.

12,5 x 10,5 cm.

Cat. 490-493.

Large 

Letter poem.

20,5 x 13 cm.

Hans Christian Andersen writes in his diary May 29, 1874: "Fritze Wanda has kept the first bouquet I gave her when she was a little girl, it's placed in glass and frame, to day I wrote under the bouquet [in normal prose]:
The first bouquet Fritze-Wanda received,/ She laid immediately in the Book of Memories./ The bouquet she got of the friend of children,/ Fritze-Wandas - / H. C. Andersen// N.B. The date of the bouquet is not remembered/ but the poem is from seventyfour in Mai."/

Cat. 490-493.

Medium 

Ruler with paper cuts (face).

31 x 4 cm.

Medium 

Ruler with pasted flowers (back).

31 x 4 cm.

With dedication to N. W. Gade, 1872.

Medium 

Large

Fan.

36 x 22 cm. (unfolded)

Given to Miss Anna Scavenius

Medium 

Large

Fan (section).

36 x 22 cm. (unfolded)

On each of the 17 fan leaves Hans Christian Andersen has written a stanza, on the last one: "I believe it's most lovely in Denmark."

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© Det Kongelige Bibliotek 2002