The Night Before Christmas: The Illustrations of Charles Santore

Be transported back in time with a holiday exhibition of watercolor paintings from The Night Before Christmas, illustrated by the renowned Charles Santore (born 1935). Written in 1822 by Clement Clark Moore, the poem remains a favorite for the season. Santore’s beautiful images, filled with wreaths, stockings, flying reindeer, a moonlit night, and, of course, Saint Nick, bring to life the warmth and spirit of this holiday classic.

Santore began his career as a freelance illustrator working for advertising agencies and magazines. Since 1986, he has worked as a children’s book illustrator, becoming one of the most respected and acclaimed illustrators of today. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Brandywine River Museum of Art, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and Woodmere Art Museum.

In addition, Woodmere exhibited nineteenth-century children’s toys, holiday trimmings, a sculpture of Belsnickel (a Christmas figure from German folklore), and an extraordinary dollhouse replica of a Germantown row home decorated for the holidays.