Maurice Sendak helped elevate children's literature into an artistic form capable of grappling with the universal complexities of how we think, imagine, feel and act. The literary icon, who passed away last month at 83, took his cue from other great thinkers, counting Mozart, Emily Dickinson, and Herman Melville among his influences.

In a roundabout way, it was Melville who brought Sendak's work to the current exhibition at the Rosenbach Museum & Library. In 1966, Sendak paid a visit to the little known corner of Philadelphia to examine the extensive collections of Melville's work housed at the Rosenbach. Two years later, Sendak himself began to house his work there, following Melville once again.

On June 10 -- which would have been Sendak's 84th birthday -- the Rosenbach opened a yearlong exhibition to celebrate Sendak's lifework. Maurice Sendak: A Legacy, planned after Sendak's death, is the most extensive exhibit of the author's artwork to date and features 65 objects to honor his career spanning 65 years.

Click through the following slideshow to see some of Sendak's work on display at the museum as well as images of the exhibition itself -- let the wild rumpus begin!

  • Preliminary drawing for Time magazine. Pencil. Gift of Justin Schiller. © 1988 by Maurice Sendak.

  • Final drawing for Where the Wild Things Are. Pen and ink, watercolor. © 1963, renewed 1991 by Maurice Sendak. (On display Oct. 10, 2012- Feb. 3, 2013)

  • Final drawing for Outside Over There. Pencil, pen and ink, watercolor. © 1978 by Maurice Sendak. (On display Feb. 6-May 26, 2013)

  • Final drawing for In the Night Kitchen. Watercolor with acetate overlay. © 1970 by Maurice Sendak. (On display June 10-Oct. 7, 2012)

  • Final drawing for Somebody Else's Nut Tree. Pen and ink. © 1958 by Maurice Sendak. (On display June 10-Oct. 7, 2012)

  • Final drawing for Open House for Butterflies. Pen and ink. © 1960 by Maurice Sendak. (On display Feb. 6-May 26, 2013)

  • Dummy book for Sarah's Room. Pen and ink, watercolor. © 1963 by Maurice Sendak. (On display Oct. 10, 2012- Feb. 3, 2013)

  • The Rosenbach Museum's exhibition of "Maurice Sendak: A Legacy."

  • The Rosenbach Museum's exhibition of "Maurice Sendak: A Legacy."

  • The Rosenbach Museum's exhibition of "Maurice Sendak: A Legacy."

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