Artwork
Little Nemo in Slumberland: Climbing the Great North Pole
Little Nemo in Slumberland: Climbing the Great North Pole is an ink drawing by the Art Nouveau artist Winsor McCay. It dates from 1907 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right in pen and black ink: WINSOR / MCCAY; upper edge in pen and black ink: Print the Pole and figures in Black key plate only / the rest in the blue key plate; lower edge in pen and black ink: Print [the word "Use," scratched out] the figures and north pole in Black key plate only-the rest in the Blue key plate; lower right in graphite: Page 1 comic Sec-March 3-; upper right edge in graphite on attached taped tab; SNOW MACHINE; upper right edge in blue colored pencil: MAR 3
About this work
Overview
Winsor McCay’s 1907 drawing titled Little Nemo in Slumberland: Climbing the Great North Pole presents a brief comic sequence. Rendered in black ink on a graphite‑prepared paperboard, the piece follows a boy and his dog as they ascend and descend a set of icy steps, their dialogue captured in speech balloons.
Subject & Meaning
The narrative depicts the young protagonist, Nemo, accompanied by his canine companion, navigating a frosty staircase that suggests an imagined journey toward the polar region. The dialogue between the figures adds a playful, adventurous tone, typical of McCay’s early 20th‑century fantasy storytelling.
Technique & Style
McCay employed cross‑hatching with pen and brush to build depth and texture across the icy surfaces, using dense lines for shadow and lighter strokes for highlights. The underlying graphite base provides a subtle tonal foundation, while the stark black ink defines the characters and architectural elements with crisp, expressive line work.
History & Provenance
Created in 1907, the drawing belongs to the early period of McCay’s prolific output in comic art. It exemplifies his transition from newspaper strips to standalone illustrations, and it has been preserved on its original paperboard support, offering insight into the artist’s material choices during that era.
Artist & collection
![The Site of the Bed and Oratory of Saint Francis (Luogo del 'letto' e dell'oratorio di San Francesco) [plate R], by Jacopo Ligozzi](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/jacopo-ligozzi--the-site-of-the-bed-and-oratory-of-saint-francis-luogo-del-l--d2d91b10bc78c845-w320.webp)
