Rip Van Winkle painting brings folktale to life

Jan. 8—With his tattered clothing, long fingernails and bewildered look, Rip Van Winkle awakes from his 20-year slumber in an imaginative painting that hangs at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg.

For children who might not know the tale, it can be entertaining to let them interpret the artwork, said Erica Nuckles, director of learning, engagement and partnerships at the museum. Oftentimes, they can use clues from the scene to figure out the story.

"It's kind of fun to bring kids and (ask), 'What do you think happened to this guy?' "

Nuckles said.

The folktale of "Rip Van Winkle" was written by Washington Irving. It was published in 1819 and set in pre-Revolutionary War times. Rip left his colonial village for the Catskill Mountains in New York and ran into a group of men, accepting their offer of a drink that lulled him into a 20-year slumber, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

When he awakes, the tale goes, he has a long, white beard and returns to town to find everything has changed, including control of the country.

Artist George Frederick Bensell likely grew up knowing the tale, Nuckles said. His painting shows Rip amid mountains and rocks with barren trees. Rip's long finger and toenails are visible against his tattered pants, exposing his skin underneath.

The gun he slept with for 20 years is rusted and worm-

eaten, and his eyes are wide with wrinkles lining his face. The painting likely was created around the time of the Civil War, Nuckles said, which was an uncertain period in American history.

The "Rip Van Winkle" story was turned into films, children's books and theatrical productions, and a statue of him was erected near Irving's New York hometown. His legend lives on now in the form of a wine and cheese festival held annually in New York.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .