Henry Darger

Reclusive janitor who created one of the most astonishing outsider art legacies

This eccentric Chicago janitor (1892-1973) secretly authored a 15,145-page fantasy manuscript titled The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, accompanied by hundreds of watercolor paintings.

Key aspects of his legacy:

• Created entirely for private consumption over 60 years
• Blended Catholic iconography with violent war narratives
• Featured hermaphroditic children in surreal landscapes

Discovered after his death, Darger's work redefined outsider art boundaries. His room-size collages now influence contemporary artists from David Lynch to contemporary graphic novelists.