Customer Reviews

The Story of Rose O'Neill: An Autobiography

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Rose O'Neill was a household name in her long lasting hey-day, yet somehow managed to die in an obscure part of the Ozarks,alone and forgotten. A brilliant draughtsman,portraitist and humorist ,it was O'Neill's sad paradoxical fate to be known for her Kewpie creations as well as condemned to try and repeat their success over and over. Dr.Brunell's sensitive presentation of O'Neill's own words beautifully reveal the vibrant personality who enchanted the world with her unique personality as well as her artistic gifts.

While this book is not a great literary work, it is a wonderful resource for the Rose O'Neill enthusiast. I found it to be the most comprehensive record of Rose O'Neill's life I have read to date. In her own words, Rose describes her upbringing in an extremely unconventional household by a mother and father, both well-read and educated, with a mutual interest in the arts. Her father wanted to make an "experiment" of her regarding her education and along with reading classic literature, listening to Irish stories of fairies and little people, he always provided her with sharp pencils and plenty of paper on which to draw.

Extensive information is provided on Rose's life including her first trip from New York to the family's new home at Bonniebrook, in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, her marriages and her struggles to make the first Kewpie dolls.

After reading this book it is easy to understand why Rose became the woman and artist that she was. It covers her formative years, beginning her career as an illustrator at a very early age, to her novels, poetry, sculpture, and serious art.