Hans Christian Andersen

“…to cut, that is the beginning of creating poetry…” H.C. Andersen wrote in a letter to Dorothea Melchior, dated July 21, 1867. We are exhibiting H.C. Andersen’s paper clip, Devil Mom (dk.: Djævlemo’er).

Devil Mom is one of five completely unusual paper clips, as they are all named and dated. The five clips were made on August 18, 1850, when H.C. Andersen met teacher and poet Georg Frederik Wilhelm Lund, who had three children - and it is for those children H.C. Andersen made the clips.

On a piece of paper, the peculiar title Devil Mom is written down. The clip depicts a female figure with a human in her mouth - perhaps a child! It is quite rare and special, that the paper clip is named, since we get an insight into the poet’s thoughts and artistic practice, which contribute to the understanding of Andersen’s diversity, unpredictability and “quirky” nature.

At Museum for Papirkunst we are proud to exhibit an original clip by H.C. Andersen, kindly lent by Museum Odense. In collaboration with Museum Odense, a new original H.C. Andersen clip is shown every six months.

Teach your children and grandchildren about this Danish cultural treasure at our art museum! We have lots of activities for children.

Many of H.C. Andersen’s paper clips contain a riddle, a rebus or a funny pun for the viewer to solve. The Miller is one of H.C. Andersen’s favorite motifs, which he cut in many variations throughout his life. The motif shows a figure, who is half man and half mill. The figure’s arms act as windmill blades, and if you study the clip closely, you can see that the arms have no hands, but instead are equipped with pen blades, in which lies the clip’s implicit pun. In Danish the word “to paint” (dk.: at male) means both to grind grain and to paint, to create pictures. The mill gate, centrally located in the clip, can be opened, whereby the inside of the mill, his soul, is revealed.

Behind the mill gate you can thus see what the miller has painted in his soul. The Miller is part of the museum’s activity and learning case for children, where children and other playful souls can paint, decoupage or cut what they think is to be found behind the miller’s door.

H.C. Andersen also cut Christmas hearts, which you can also try first hand in our paper workshop.