DR. SEUSS: GREEN EGGS AND ART

Christmas-time is children-time, and children’s art is Dr. Seuss. Or is it? That’s the question put to gallery goers by the curator of a new Dr. Seuss exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art. “I don’t think Dr. Seuss ever talked down to anyone,” says Arnold Lehman, who collected the 300-odd works for “Dr. Seuss From Then to Now,” on view until Jan. 17. “He didn’t know if he was writing children’s books for adults or adult books for children,” says Lehman, underlining the complexity of Dr. Seuss (a.k.a. Theodor Geisel) and his work as an artist, illustrator, political cartoonist and author of 45 books that have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. Indeed, Lehman is quick to point out the comparisons between Dr. Seuss’ animals and those presented in Picasso’s linoleum cutouts also on exhibit in Baltimore. But then, unlike the Dr. Seuss collection, the Picassos aren’t hung just 2 1/2 feet off of the ground (the better to to accommodate school-age crowds). And yes, the Grinch is prominently on display.