Collection: The Land of Make Believe by Jaro Hess, 1930
Jaro Hess
(March 27, 1889 - 1979)
Jaro Hess was a painter and landscape designer who spent much of his career in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is best known for his painting The Land of Make Believe, which features 60 images that reference different fairy tales and nursery rhymes. While Hess never achieved great fame for his painting during his life, prints of The Land of Make Believe remain popular to this day. According to a research team at Calvin College, Hess made the painting in 1933, although many sources list the date of origin as 1930.
In a 1972 interview, Hess claimed the picture was shown at Chicago's 1933 Century of World Progress children's literature area. However, the children's literature area, known as the “Story Cove” does not list him as a participant, nor is the map visible in available pictures of the space.
During the 1950s, the image was modified to change the figure of “The Wandering Jew” to simply “The Wanderer.”
Hess tried to capitalize on the success of The Land of Make Believe with a similar The Land of the New Testament, to be sold to Sunday schools. An advertisement from the time from “Jaro Hess Studios” states “Jaro Hess, the originator of the internationally famous and well-known children’s map, ‘The Land of Make-Believe,’ has created a new pictorial map ... Because of its wide appeal dealers are finding this color map, ‘The Land of the New Testament’ one of the best-selling items.” However, his other paintings never garnered the popularity of The Land of Make Believe.
After retirement in 1950, Hess devoted his time to painting. He produced several works during this time, the most notable of which was The Jungle II. The painting features a lush jungle landscape populated with strange and peculiar creatures.
While Hess never achieved major critical or commercial success during his lifetime, his work still continues to spark young imaginations.