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Over the Rainbow Art & Poetry Series
With the marriage of 'The Wizard of Oz's' most beloved song and the iridescent paintings of one of America's most beloved artists, comes Mary Tiegreen's beautifully designed 'Over the Rainbow', the fifth instalment in Welcome's fabulous Art & Poetry series.
Very few songs have taken hold of our hearts and imaginations the way '"Over the Rainbow" has, stirring up wistfulness and a longing to be free. These lyrics, so evocative of light and colour, have found their perfect match in the paintings of Maxfied Parrish. The paintings seem to generate a light of their own, reflecting off the words on each page, and the result is a feeling of warmth and exuberance, and a sense that dreams "really do come true."
Very few songs have taken hold of our hearts and imaginations the way '"Over the Rainbow" has, stirring up wistfulness and a longing to be free. These lyrics, so evocative of light and colour, have found their perfect match in the paintings of Maxfied Parrish. The paintings seem to generate a light of their own, reflecting off the words on each page, and the result is a feeling of warmth and exuberance, and a sense that dreams "really do come true."
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 14, 2017
The designer of this sumptuous book, Mary Tiegreen, has done a tremendous job in bringing together the lyrics, so evocative of light and colour, of E Y ("Yip") Harburg and Maxfield Parrish's glorious paintings, which seem to generate a light of their own, in 'Over the Rainbow'. The result is a marriage made in heaven and a book that is a delight to both read and view and, in the words of the song, it gives a sense that dreams 'really do come true'.
Harburg was a prolific songwriter, having written the lyrics for more than 500 songs, and when he collaborated with Harold Arlen to create the fantasy musical 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) the song 'Over the Rainbow' exemplified his personal philosophy that people can overcome difficult situations to create a better world. Not only that but, when initially sung by Judy Garland, it became one of the world's great classics.
Parrish was a prolific artist and after Haverford College he attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts to begin a classical education in the fine arts. He spent much of the 1890s assembling a portfolio of book and magazine illustrations but when his painting 'The Sandman' was exhibited at the Society of American Artists in 1897, he achieved national recognition. And he continued painting prolifically for the remainder of his life. To accompany Harburg's lyrics, the selection of 19 paintings cover the period from 1903 to 1942.
The lyrics begin with the memorable lines 'When all the world's a hopeless jumble/And the raindrops tumble all around,/Heaven opens a magic lane./When all the clouds darken up the skyway, There's a rainbow to be found,/Leading from your window pane./To a place behind the sun,/Just a step behind the rain'. And then comes the classic 'Somewhere over the rainbow way up high' and the reader is immediately hooked. And that without the two enchanting Parrish paintings. 'Hilltop' and 'Morning', both of which, lit magnificently, picture maidens gazing wistfully out at the heavens.
Parrish's 'The Garden of Allah' illuminates 'There's a land that I heard of/Once in a lullaby' - who can resist those evocative words? And the next mention of 'Somewhere over the rainbow' is complemented by 'Reveries', a whimsical looking maiden on a swing with a predominance of blue to match the next line 'Skies are blue'. Then, when 'dreams really do come true' Parrish's 'Sleeping Beauty' captures the mood ideally.
'Someday I'll wish upon a star' has a nubile maiden gazing into space searching for that star, which shines brightly above, while 'Where troubles melt like lemon drops' is perhaps the best match in the whole book for Parrish with his 'Lantern Bearers' has six pierrots with six large yellow lanterns, which really do give the impression of lemon drops!
And words and images continue to delight all through the book as 'bluebirds fly somewhere over the rainbow' and the question on the lips of Dorothy Gale, depicted by two of Parrish's trademark beauties, is, of course, 'Why. Oh why can't I?'
It is without doubt an ever so delightful book, both lyrics and illustrations-wise and whenever I hear the song again (and we occasionally use it as a cool down song in our aqua aerobics) I will view it quite differently. Very definitely after reading it, 'Skies are Blue'!
Harburg was a prolific songwriter, having written the lyrics for more than 500 songs, and when he collaborated with Harold Arlen to create the fantasy musical 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) the song 'Over the Rainbow' exemplified his personal philosophy that people can overcome difficult situations to create a better world. Not only that but, when initially sung by Judy Garland, it became one of the world's great classics.
Parrish was a prolific artist and after Haverford College he attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts to begin a classical education in the fine arts. He spent much of the 1890s assembling a portfolio of book and magazine illustrations but when his painting 'The Sandman' was exhibited at the Society of American Artists in 1897, he achieved national recognition. And he continued painting prolifically for the remainder of his life. To accompany Harburg's lyrics, the selection of 19 paintings cover the period from 1903 to 1942.
The lyrics begin with the memorable lines 'When all the world's a hopeless jumble/And the raindrops tumble all around,/Heaven opens a magic lane./When all the clouds darken up the skyway, There's a rainbow to be found,/Leading from your window pane./To a place behind the sun,/Just a step behind the rain'. And then comes the classic 'Somewhere over the rainbow way up high' and the reader is immediately hooked. And that without the two enchanting Parrish paintings. 'Hilltop' and 'Morning', both of which, lit magnificently, picture maidens gazing wistfully out at the heavens.
Parrish's 'The Garden of Allah' illuminates 'There's a land that I heard of/Once in a lullaby' - who can resist those evocative words? And the next mention of 'Somewhere over the rainbow' is complemented by 'Reveries', a whimsical looking maiden on a swing with a predominance of blue to match the next line 'Skies are blue'. Then, when 'dreams really do come true' Parrish's 'Sleeping Beauty' captures the mood ideally.
'Someday I'll wish upon a star' has a nubile maiden gazing into space searching for that star, which shines brightly above, while 'Where troubles melt like lemon drops' is perhaps the best match in the whole book for Parrish with his 'Lantern Bearers' has six pierrots with six large yellow lanterns, which really do give the impression of lemon drops!
And words and images continue to delight all through the book as 'bluebirds fly somewhere over the rainbow' and the question on the lips of Dorothy Gale, depicted by two of Parrish's trademark beauties, is, of course, 'Why. Oh why can't I?'
It is without doubt an ever so delightful book, both lyrics and illustrations-wise and whenever I hear the song again (and we occasionally use it as a cool down song in our aqua aerobics) I will view it quite differently. Very definitely after reading it, 'Skies are Blue'!
December 30, 2007
Again, I bought this for the Maxfield Parrish illustrations.
March 3, 2008
A beautiful art book.
July 1, 2016
Good illustrations to go with the classic song
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews