The Art of Edward Gorey!

Welcome to a SPECIAL EDITION of the Piece of Advice Newsletter!

Good morning! Today we are taking a look into the legendary artist and author, Edward Gorey! I was even lucky enough to ask a few questions to the staff of the Edward Gorey House Museum in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts!

Edward Gorey was one of the most distinctive illustrators and writers of the 20th century, blending whimsy with the macabre in a style that remains instantly recognizable. Born in 1925 in Chicago, Gorey studied at Harvard and later worked in publishing, where his meticulous pen-and-ink drawings began to attract attention. He became widely known for his illustrated books, often written in verse, that combined Victorian settings with darkly comic stories. Works like “The Gashlycrumb Tinies”; an alphabet book of unfortunate fates; and “The Doubtful Guest” cemented his reputation as a master of gothic humor.

Over his career, Gorey published more than 100 works and illustrated the covers of numerous classic novels, from H.G. Wells to T.S. Eliot. His art reached an even wider audience when his animations were used in the opening sequence of PBS’s “Mystery!” series, hosted by Vincent Price and later Diana Rigg. Beyond books, he designed sets and costumes for theater, winning a Tony Award for his work on the 1977 Broadway production of “Dracula”. His influence stretched across literature, illustration, and performance, inspiring generations of artists, filmmakers, and writers who embraced his ability to mix the eerie with the elegant.

Gorey himself was known for his eccentric personality. He often dressed in fur coats and tennis shoes, lived surrounded by cats, and was an avid ballet enthusiast, attending countless New York City Ballet performances. He described his own works as “literary nonsense,” though their themes of mortality and absurdity carried real depth. Today, fans often celebrate his peculiar wit and artistic eye, finding joy in the playful bleakness of his creations. His ability to make the morbid delightful is a large part of what keeps his books in print and beloved.

After his death in 2000, Gorey’s home on Cape Cod was transformed into the Edward Gorey House, a museum dedicated to his life and art. The museum showcases original illustrations, personal belongings, and rotating exhibits that explore different aspects of his career. It also preserves his commitment to animal welfare, with part of the museum’s mission devoted to causes Gorey supported in his lifetime. His legacy endures not only through his iconic books and illustrations but also through the continuing celebration of his singular vision; a reminder that art can be both unsettling and enchanting all at once.

Bonus Questions:

Giancarlo: What is the most important thing most people don’t know about Mr. Gorey?

Museum: By far the most prevalent misconception about Edward Gorey is that his work was confined purely to the Gothic. He’s often regarded as a misanthrope who revelled in gruesome tales of children getting disemboweled in various horrible ways. While he did draw an awful lot of murdered children, one of the things that keeps us coming back to Gorey is the incredible depth under the surface and his wonderful sense of humor. His books are always quite clever and draw on a truly astonishing range of literature, art, theatre, and film influences. There is a lot of silliness and a lot of profundity for those inclined to look.

Giancarlo: Did he ever have any push back from friends and family on wanting to be a artist/writer?

Museum: His family, as we understand it, was generally supportive of his creative spirit. He was always able to find commercial work and make a living even while making his strange little books, so it seems unlikely that anyone was worried that he might fall into penury (a common concern for artistic types).

Giancarlo: Which of his books did he seem the most proud of?

Museum: This is a difficult question to answer as most of Gorey’s personal work seems to have been done largely for his own fulfillment. However, we can tell you that he did not like the illustrations he did for Brer Rabbit in the 70s. We also have a suspicion that his favorite work may be the absurdist theatre he put on in the 90s. As far as we can tell, he was generally more amused by it than anyone in the audience ever was.

Giancarlo: What is your favorite aspect of Edward Gorey and his work?

Museum: There is really nothing else like it. It is sometimes very funny and sometimes unsettling and possibly significant, but it could also mean absolutely nothing at all.

Piece Of Advice:

Giancarlo: What is this best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Museum: “Explaining something makes it go away, so to speak; what's important is left after you have explained everything else.” –Edward St. John Gorey

Check out the museum: https://edwardgoreyhouse.org/

Thank you for reading! Have an amazing day and we will catch you again soon!

-Giancarlo