Portraits of Roald Dahl's characters at Wakefield Museum

Portraits of Roald Dahl's characters have gone display for the first, and only time, in West Yorkshire at Wakefield Museum.
Coun Jacquie Speight, Wakefield Councils cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, promoting the Quentin Blake exhibition of Roald Dahl portraits at Wakefield Museum. Credit:  Quentin Blake: ©Quentin Blake 2018.Coun Jacquie Speight, Wakefield Councils cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, promoting the Quentin Blake exhibition of Roald Dahl portraits at Wakefield Museum. Credit:  Quentin Blake: ©Quentin Blake 2018.
Coun Jacquie Speight, Wakefield Councils cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, promoting the Quentin Blake exhibition of Roald Dahl portraits at Wakefield Museum. Credit: Quentin Blake: ©Quentin Blake 2018.

The portraits have been created by legendary illustrator, Sir Quentin Blake, to mark the 100th anniversary of author Roald Dahl’s birth.

The series of ten character portraits from Dahl’s famous books include the Twits, Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Miss Trunchbull from Matilda.

The images have never been seen before in the books.

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Visitors are asked to imagine that the characters have been asked to sit for their portraits – appearing as they never have done before.

It is the first and only time the exhibition of drawings will be on display in West Yorkshire. It has only ever been out of the British Museum to Hull and Norwich.

The interactive exhibition also includes hands-on entertaining activities including a dressing up space to take selfie portraits, the chance for visitors to draw their own pictures and fly them on the exhibition’s kite and a comfy reading section to relax and enjoy the wonderful world of Roald Dahl.

Coun Jacquie Speight, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, said: “It is an absolute honour to display Sir Quentin Blake’s amazing portraits.

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“The Roald Dahl characters will interest and excite family members of all ages, and as it’s the only visit the exhibition will be making in West Yorkshire it is not to be missed.”

A programme of Roald Dahl themed family events and activities, inspired by the exhibition, will also be run over the summer.

Quentin Blake: The Roald Dahl Centenary Portraits is a British Library exhibition, generously supported by Quentin Blake and Arts Council England.

The exhibition opened on at Wakefield Museum on Saturday, July 14 and runs until January 5, 2019.

The museum is housed within Wakefield One on Burton Street.

Entry into the museum is free.