DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

The Nightingale (2002)

The Nightingale is the story of a humble songbird whose beautiful voice brings her great fame and an esteemed place in the king’s court. Ultimately, after saving the life of the king, the nightingale chooses to leave her regal new home to return to a peaceful life in the forest. Though the original tale by Hans Christian Andersen is set in China, Jerry Pinkney gave his adaptation a unique twist by shifting the setting to Morocco. The artist’s lush, textural watercolors feature the diverse people, colorful dress, and grand architecture of Northwest Africa. For the artist, “the plain little bird with a magnificent voice and a big heart became a symbol of the healing power of nature.”