Hudson Talbott

OVERVIEW

Hudson Talbott: Shining Objects is a career retrospective. The exhibition celebrates the work of the late, award-winning artist Hudson Talbott, whose talents have inspired audiences for decades through his children’s picture books.

The exhibition presents more than 75 of Talbott’s works, including a selection of his original paintings and sketches, his painting table, examples of his more than 30 books for young readers, and a selection of his early commercial work. 

Talbott’s artistry was interwoven with that of legendary fellow artists. His book We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story was adapted into an animated film by Steven Spielberg. Talbott illustrated the Newbury Honor Book Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, and he adapted Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Into the Woods” into a book for young readers. 

Talbott, who died on January 22, was the longest-serving member of the Board of Directors of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, having served on the Board for more than 20 years. One of his books—Picturing America: Thomas Cole and the Birth of American Art—introduces new generations to Cole and the legacy of the artist. Another, River of Dreams, tells the story of the Hudson River. His final book, “The Next Shiny Object,” will be published this summer.

PRESS RELEASE

“Talbott brought a painter’s sensibility to narrative, infusing historical and literary subjects with vivid, accessible imagery.” –Chronogram