Illustrating A Classic

As a major exhibition examines the evolution of Winnie the Pooh’s success, AMANDA HODGES reveals the role artist EH SHEPARD played in the creation of the iconic children’s character.

- Amanda Hodges

Think of Winnie the Pooh and EH Shepard’s illustrations spring to mind, so evocatively do they capture the essence of the Bear of Very Little Brain and his exploits. AA Milne’s text and Shepard’s illustrations have a symbiotic relationship and, when combined, conjure the innocent world beloved by generations of children – and their parents. But how did this productive working relationship begin, was it serendipity or more prosaic?

Decades on from Winnie the Pooh’s publication and phenomenal success, Shepard could remember clearly how it all began. In the early 1920s, he’d been a contributor to the famous Punch magazine. One day in 1923, his colleague EV Lucas turned to him at a dinner and said, “Ernest, we have some charming poems for children sent to us by AA Milne and we want to publish them, would you like to illustrate them?” This statement led to the popular When We Were Very Young, which appeared in 1924.

Shepard remembered, “I said ‘yes’ without a moment’s hesitation for though I did not know Milne of course I was familiar with his writing.” At this time, the writer was a popular playwright and author of humorous verse. It would prove ironic that in a few years his other literary endeavours would be eclipsed by his Winnie the Pooh stories.

Shepard said that when he received the poems, “I realised what a grand time was ahead of me.” Although he acknowledged honestly: “It is nervous work making a picture of an author’s written words and when I took my first sketches to show Milne I had some anxious moments whilst he studied them. It was clear that he was pleased and he said, ‘They are fine, so right already.’”