This is Struwelpeter, a small painting based on the famous German children’s book from the 1800’s, containing 10 cautionary tales. Struwelpeter translates as Shock-headed Peter which is the story of a unkempt young boy who refuses to bathe or cut his hair or trim his nails.
He is just one of the children with offending habits who fall victim to cruel ends as a result of their own foul behavior. It’s macabre and sometimes gruesome but it has remained in print for over 150 years and is one of the most influential children’s books of all time.
I did this piece as part of my Outlaws series from a few years back. I could only envision Struwelpeter as an outcast as an adult, never quite shaking the bad habits of his youth, and this is how I saw him. A little creepy, yes.
But he is Struwelpeter, after all…
So groom yourself well and don’t suck your thumb!
Redtree Times 