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The waves of all the worlds seemed to whirl past them in one huge green cataract. An Arthur Rackham illustration for Becuma of the White Skin from Irish Fairy Tales. My scan.

“This is the very essence of memory: its self-referential base, its self-consciousness, ever evolving and ever changing, intrinsically dynamic and subjective.”

In the 1970s, while musicians were rediscovering and reinventing the genre of folk music, writers were rediscovering and reinventing the genre of fantasy fiction. The audience for both of these things overlapped, and it’s not hard to understand why. Fantasy...

Arthur Rackham Illustration from Maid Maleen

Understanding the world one cartoon at a time. And other high culture. New Yorker artists are royalty here.

Lancelot fights against a dragon at the Castle of Corbin, Rackham Arthur

Children By The Sea The Night Before Christmas To Bethlehem – A Christmas Masque Alice In Wonderland Alice – A Mad Tea Party Alice – The Rabbit Sends In A Little Bill Alice Pandor…

Arthur Rackham self-portrait entitled "A Transpontine Cockney" 1934 Arthur Rackham (1867 – 1939) is widely regarded as one of the leading illustrators from the 'Golden Age' of British book illustration which encompassed the years from 1900 until the start of the First World War. Arthur Rackham's works have become very popular since his death, both in North America and Britain. His images have been widely used by the greeting card industry and many of his books are still in print or have been recently available in both paperback and hardback editions. His original drawings and paintings are keenly sought at the major international art auction houses. This is part 8 of an 8-part post on the works of Arthur Rackham. For full biographical notes see part 1. A Dish of Apples by Eden Phillpotts is a collection of poems written by Eden Phillpotts (1862-1960) on a theme of nature and harvest, with the greater part of the collection being poems in homage to varieties of orchard fruits. Phillpotts was an English author, poet and dramatist. He was born in Mount Abu, British India, educated in Plymouth, Devon, and worked as an insurance officer for 10 years before studying for the stage and eventually becoming a writer. He co-wrote two plays with his daughter Adelaide Phillpotts. This version originally published in 1921: 1921 Cover of A Dish of Apples Title page Hawthorne’s Wonder Book was the First Edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic tales illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Written as tales within a tale, Hawthorne presents the stories as being told to a group of children at Tanglewood, an Estate in Lenox, Massachusetts (where Hawthorne lived for a period), by Eustace Bright, a Williams College student. This version originally published in 1922: 1922 Cover of Hawthorne's Wonder Book 1922 American edition of the book Comus is a masque in honour of chastity, written by John Milton (1608 – 1674). It was first presented on Michaelmas 1634, before John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater at Ludlow Castle in celebration of the Earl's new post as Lord President of Wales. The plot concerns two brothers and their sister, simply called "Lady", lost in a journey through the woods. Lady becomes fatigued, and the brothers wander off in search of sustenance. While alone, she encounters the debauched Comus, a character inspired by the god of mockery, who is disguised as a villager and claims he will lead her to her brothers. Deceived by his amiable countenance, Lady follows him, only to be captured, brought to his pleasure palace and victimised by his necromancy. This version originally published in 1922: 1922 Cover of Comus Title page "All amidst the Gardens fair of Hesperus, and his daughters three that sing about the golden tree." "And they, so perfect is their misery, not once perceive their foul disfigurement, but boast themselves more comely than before." "They come in making a riotous unruly noise" "Calling shapes, and beckoning shadows dire." "Sweet Echo." "The flowry-kirtl'd Naiades." "Some say, no evil thing that walks by night…" "…No goblin, or swart faery of the mine, hath hurt-full power o'er true virginity." "The huntress Diana" "The wonted roar was up amidst the woods, and fill'd the Air with barbarous dissonance." "… as Daphne was, root-bound, that fled Apollo." "Iris there, with humid bow" "The brothers rush in with swords drawn." "The water Nymphs, that in the bottom plaid, held up their pearled wrists and took her in." "Sabrina fair listen where thou art sitting." Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt Written in the Dano-Norwegian language, it is the most widely performed Norwegian play. Peer Gynt has also been described as the story of a life based on procrastination and avoidance. A first edition of 1,250 copies was published on 14 November 1867 in Copenhagen. Although the first edition swiftly sold out, a re-print of 2,000 copies, which followed after only 14 days, didn't sell out until seven years later. This version originally published in 1936: 1936 Cover of Peer Gynt Title page End paper Peer before the King of Trolls Aase on the mill house roof Peer among the wedding guests Peer and Solvieg at the wedding Peer follows the woman in green The dance of the Trolls Peer and the Troll Witch The Death of Aase Anitra's Dance The Thin Man Peer and the Threadballs

Arthur Rackham (1867 – 1939) is widely regarded as one of the leading illustrators from the 'Golden Age' of British book illustration which encompassed the years from 1900 until the start of the First World War. Arthur Rackham's works have become very popular since his death, both in North America and Britain. His images have been widely used by the greeting card industry and many of his books are still in print or have been recently available in both paperback and hardback editions. His original drawings and paintings are keenly sought at the major international art auction houses. This is part 4 of an 8-part post on the works of Arthur Rackham. For full biographical notes see part 1. Part 4 features two related books: “The Rhinegold” and the “Valkyrie and Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods,” both based on operas by Richard Wagner, that constitute his Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). “The Rhinegold” was originally written as an introduction to the tripartite Ring, but the cycle is now generally regarded as consisting of four individual operas. “Twilight of the Gods” is the last opera of the cycle. The title is a translation into German of the Old Norse phrase Ragnarök, which in Norse mythology refers to a prophesied war of the gods that brings about the end of the world. However, as with the rest of the Ring, Wagner's account of this apocalypse diverges significantly from his Old Norse sources. Wagner's plans for the cycle grew backwards from the tale of the death of the hero Siegfried, to include his youth and then the story of the events around his conception and of how the Valkyrie Brünnhilde was punished for trying to save his parents against Wotan's instructions. The Rhinegold and the Valkyrie published in 1910: 1910 Cover of The Rhinegold and the Valkyrie Title page "Raging, Wotan rides to the Rock! Like a storm-wind he comes!" The frolic of the Rhine-Maidens The Rhine-Maidens teasing Alberich "Mock away! Mock! The Niblung makes for your toy!" "Seize the despoiler! Rescue the gold! Help us! Help us! Woe! Woe!" Freia, the fair one "The Rhine's pure-gleaming children told me of their sorrow" Fasolt suddenly seizes Freia and drags her to one side with Fafner Mime, howling, "Ohe! Ohe! Oh! Oh!" Mime writhes under the lashes he receives Alberich drives in a band of Niblungs laden with gold and silver treasure "Ohe! Ohe! Horrible dragon, O swallow me not! Spare the life of poor Loge!" "Hey! Come hither, and stop me this cranny!" Fafner kills Fasolt "To my hammer's swing hitherward sweep vapours and fogs! Hovering Mists! Donner, your lord, summons his hosts!" "The Rhine's fair children, bewailing their lost gold, weep" "This healing and honeyed draught of mead deign to accept from me" Hunding discovers the likeness between Siegmund and Sieglinde Sieglinde prepares Hunding's draught for the night "Siegmund the Walsung thou dost see! As bride-gift he brings this sword" Brunnhilde Fricka approaches in anger Brunnhilde slowly and silently leads her horse down the path to the cave "Father! Father! Tell me what ails thee? With dismay thou art filling thy child!" Brunnhilde stands for a long time dazed and alarmed Brunnhilde with her horse, at the mouth of the cave "I flee for the first time and am pursued. Warfather follows close he nears, he nears, in fury! Save this woman! Sisters, your help!" "There as a dread dragon he sojourns, and in a cave keeps watch over Alberich's ring" The ride of the Valkyries "Appear, flickering fire, encircle the rock with thy flame! Loge! Loge! Appear!" The sleep of Brunnhilde Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods published in 1911. 1911 Cover of Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods Title page "Nothing! Nothing! Conquering Sword!" Mime at the anvil Mime and the infant Siegfried Mime finds the mother of Siegfried in the forest Siegfried sees himself in the stream "And there I learned what love was like" "In dragon's form Fafner now watches the hoard" Mime and the wanderer Siegfried killsFafner "The hot blood burns like fire" The dwarfs quarelling over the body of Fafner "Magical rapture pierces my heart, fixed is my gaze. Burning with terror, I reel, my heart faints and fails" Brunnhilde Salutes the Sun Brunnhilde throws herself into Siegfried's arms The three Norns The Norns vanish Siegfried leaves Brunnhilde in search of adventure Siegfried hands the drinking-horn back to Gutrune, and gazes at her with sudden passion Brunnhilde kisses the ring that Siegfried has left with her "The ring upon thy hand…ah, be implored! For Wotan fling it away!" The wooing of Grimhilde, the mother of Hagen "Swear to me. Hagen, my son!" "O wife betrayed. I will avenge thy trust deceived" "Though gaily ye may laugh. In grief ye shall be left. For mocking maids, this ring ye ask shall never be yours" "Siegfried! Siegfried! Our warning is true, flee, oh flee from the curse!" Brunnhilde on Grane leaps on to the funeral pyre of Siegfried The Rhine-Maidens obtain possession of the ring and bear it off in triumph

“Maybe it's wrong when we remember breakthroughs to our own being as something that occurs in discrete, extraordinary moments. Maybe falling in love, the piercing knowledge that we ourselves will someday die, and the love of snow are in reality...

Arthur Rackham was one of the most famous "Golden Age" illustrators and went on to become an inspiration to a varied group of creative thinkers, including C.S. Lewis, Gulliermo del Toro and Tim Burton. Rackham created rich and believable fantasy worlds by applying a realistic style to fantastical subjects. His faeries, trolls, and animals all seem just one shade shy of human. Rackham made his living as an illustrator for 47 years, and worked on dozens of books, but Rip Van Winkle, his first artistic and commercial success, was not published until 1905, when he was almost 40. The story of Arthur Rackham's career is one of steady progress. He attended the Lambeth School of Art part time while working a day job as a clerk, then went on to work as an illustrator for a paper called the Pall Mall Budget, then switched to the (equally dull-sounding) Westminster Budget. "...for the next seven years or so I worked as hard as I could out of business hours (9–5) to equip myself as an artist – not being able to embark on a professional career till I was nearly 25, & then for many years getting the barest living from my profession & having to do much distasteful hack work." -Derek Hudson, Arthur Rackham, His Life and Work For the most part, the work he did for these papers had little to distinguish it from the mass of utilitarian Victorian news illustrations generated before photography rendered them obsolete– but inklings of his future work could be seen in drawings such as "The Influenza Fiend." His drawings show masterful control of watercolors and a tight, muted palette. He is known for his treatment of wood: the grain in beams of fairy-tale cottages; the gnarled, expressive trees. Rackham worked at a time when printers were switching from woodblocks to the photo zinc process. Where previously the engraver would often reinterpret the artist's original lines to suit his own style or tools– sometimes gluing the original artwork directly to the woodblock as a template– this new process allowed the work to be reproduced identically, and left original drawings unharmed. This is meaningful, as the sale of original artwork was an important source of income throughout Rackham's career. In contrast to the fairy tale worlds he drew, Rackham led a fairly conventional life. He was a Luddite and a family man, by all accounts happily married to his wife, Edyth, whose own paintings were well recognized in her time. Their studios were next to each other, and some credit her with helping him introduce color to his work. His particular working method is described in Fred Gettings' 1975 biography, Arthur Rackham:
 "Rackham would begin his pictures by sketching carefully with a soft pencil the broad outlines of the composition either working on card, or on a good quality, slightly textured, paper mounted on card… into this he would work his figures or emotive points of interest. This method of working– from established mass to to details within the mass– remained with Rackham throughout his life." 

 "…into the general mass of the pencil drawing he would then work in pen and indian ink, and once the basis of the drawing had begun to emerge in ink, he cleaned off the pencil drawing beneath..." He finished with an allover wash of color (usually sepia), then gradually intensified the colors with thin layers of watercolor– never gouache, as was commonly used at the time. Any lines which were washed out in this process he would trace once more with ink to keep them crisp in reproductions. He started out working at twice the intended reproduction size, and then started working a little larger as he earned more income from selling originals. Rackham brought his fanciful style to a broad range of subjects. He illustrated operas by Wagner, and plays by Shakespeare. He cultivated a friendship with J.M. Barrie while working on Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. He even illustrated an early edition of Goblin Market, a poem so loaded with erotic symbolism that it was reprinted in Playboy in 1973. It is a testament to how well-regarded Rackham was in his day that he was asked to illustrate new editions of The Wind in the Willows and Alice in Wonderland– two books which were already quite well known for their illustrations. 

Some of the illustrations he originally published in black and white were later republished in color. But you can see here how the color is not necessary for definition of the subject- the linework stands quite well on its own. Part of the difficulty in researching his work was that many of his illustrations were oversaturated for reprints or the web; it is difficult to find digital images which faithfully reproduce his intended hues. 
 
Sales of fine illustrated books lagged in England after WWI, but in the US, the market was booming. And luckily, his original artwork continued to sell briskly despite England's economic malaise. Rackham worked at the peak of his ability right up until his death in 1939. He finished the illustrations for Wind in the Willows while suffering from cancer, driven in part by his lingering regret over having had to turn down the project 20 years prior. 

 Derek Hudson's book contains this lovely anecdote:
 "Slowly the drawings for The Wind in the Willows neared completion. The last drawing of all to be finished was that of Rat and Mole loading their boat for a picnic. Rackham's daughter remembers his great exhaustion and the extreme difficulty he had in getting it done. When he had, as he thought, finished it, he suddenly discovered there were no oars in the boat. Barbara (His daughter) tried to persuade him that this was a detail that did not matter, but he insisted that everything must be right, and with great labour he altered the drawing and put in the oars. After he had done this, he lay back on his bed and said: 'thank goodness, that is the last one'. And so it proved in every sense."

The Print This art print displays sharp, vivid images with a high degree of color accuracy. A member of the versatile family of art prints, this high-quality reproduction represents the best of both worlds: quality and affordability. Art prints are created using a digital or offset lithography press. Paper Type: Art Print Finished Size: 9" x 12" Arrives by Fri, Jun 7 Product ID: 16612329

Arthur Rackham self-portrait entitled "A Transpontine Cockney" 1934 Arthur Rackham (1867 – 1939) is widely regarded as one of the leading illustrators from the 'Golden Age' of British book illustration which encompassed the years from 1900 until the start of the First World War. Arthur Rackham's works have become very popular since his death, both in North America and Britain. His images have been widely used by the greeting card industry and many of his books are still in print or have been recently available in both paperback and hardback editions. His original drawings and paintings are keenly sought at the major international art auction houses. This is part 8 of an 8-part post on the works of Arthur Rackham. For full biographical notes see part 1. A Dish of Apples by Eden Phillpotts is a collection of poems written by Eden Phillpotts (1862-1960) on a theme of nature and harvest, with the greater part of the collection being poems in homage to varieties of orchard fruits. Phillpotts was an English author, poet and dramatist. He was born in Mount Abu, British India, educated in Plymouth, Devon, and worked as an insurance officer for 10 years before studying for the stage and eventually becoming a writer. He co-wrote two plays with his daughter Adelaide Phillpotts. This version originally published in 1921: 1921 Cover of A Dish of Apples Title page Hawthorne’s Wonder Book was the First Edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic tales illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Written as tales within a tale, Hawthorne presents the stories as being told to a group of children at Tanglewood, an Estate in Lenox, Massachusetts (where Hawthorne lived for a period), by Eustace Bright, a Williams College student. This version originally published in 1922: 1922 Cover of Hawthorne's Wonder Book 1922 American edition of the book Comus is a masque in honour of chastity, written by John Milton (1608 – 1674). It was first presented on Michaelmas 1634, before John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater at Ludlow Castle in celebration of the Earl's new post as Lord President of Wales. The plot concerns two brothers and their sister, simply called "Lady", lost in a journey through the woods. Lady becomes fatigued, and the brothers wander off in search of sustenance. While alone, she encounters the debauched Comus, a character inspired by the god of mockery, who is disguised as a villager and claims he will lead her to her brothers. Deceived by his amiable countenance, Lady follows him, only to be captured, brought to his pleasure palace and victimised by his necromancy. This version originally published in 1922: 1922 Cover of Comus Title page "All amidst the Gardens fair of Hesperus, and his daughters three that sing about the golden tree." "And they, so perfect is their misery, not once perceive their foul disfigurement, but boast themselves more comely than before." "They come in making a riotous unruly noise" "Calling shapes, and beckoning shadows dire." "Sweet Echo." "The flowry-kirtl'd Naiades." "Some say, no evil thing that walks by night…" "…No goblin, or swart faery of the mine, hath hurt-full power o'er true virginity." "The huntress Diana" "The wonted roar was up amidst the woods, and fill'd the Air with barbarous dissonance." "… as Daphne was, root-bound, that fled Apollo." "Iris there, with humid bow" "The brothers rush in with swords drawn." "The water Nymphs, that in the bottom plaid, held up their pearled wrists and took her in." "Sabrina fair listen where thou art sitting." Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt Written in the Dano-Norwegian language, it is the most widely performed Norwegian play. Peer Gynt has also been described as the story of a life based on procrastination and avoidance. A first edition of 1,250 copies was published on 14 November 1867 in Copenhagen. Although the first edition swiftly sold out, a re-print of 2,000 copies, which followed after only 14 days, didn't sell out until seven years later. This version originally published in 1936: 1936 Cover of Peer Gynt Title page End paper Peer before the King of Trolls Aase on the mill house roof Peer among the wedding guests Peer and Solvieg at the wedding Peer follows the woman in green The dance of the Trolls Peer and the Troll Witch The Death of Aase Anitra's Dance The Thin Man Peer and the Threadballs

HIGH RESOLUTION "Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures" (1913) ... reminiscent of his fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream (see next) Arthur Rackham Watercolor, pen & ink [English Golden Age Illustrator, 1867-1939] ______ My scan and digital restoration Online book: digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/digital/collection/p16998co...

Fairy tales of the past were often full of macabre and gruesome twists and endings. These days, companies like Disney have sanitized them for a modern audience that is clearly deemed unable to cope, so we see happy endings everywhere. This list looks at some of the common endings we are familiar with---and explains the

“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”

Frogs/Toads - always my favourite...

Art and Artists, Paintings, Painters, Prints, Printmakers, Illustration, Illustrators

Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was born in London as one of 12 children. 1884 at the age of 17 he was sent on and ocean voyage to Australia to improve his fragile health. At the age of 18 he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art. In 1892 he left his job and started working for The Westminster Budget as a reporter and illustrator. His first book illustrations were published in 1893 in To the Other Side by Thomas Rhodes: The Other Side Illustration from "The Other Side" His first serious commission was in 1894 for The Dolly Dialogues, the collected sketches of Anthony Hope, who later went on to write The Prisoner of Zenda.Book illustrating then became Rackham's career for the rest of his life. The Dolly Dialogues In 1903 he married Edyth Starkie, with whom he had one daughter, Barbara, in 1908. Rackham won a gold medal at the Milan International Exhibition in 1906 and another one at the Barcelona International Exposition in 1912. His works were included in numerous exhibitions, including one at the Louvre in Paris in 1914. Rackham is widely regarded as one of the leading illustrators from the 'Golden Age' of British book illustration which encompassed the 100 years from1900 until the start of WW1. During that period there was a strong market for high quality illustrated books that typically were given as Christmas gifts. Many of Rackham's books were produced in a de luxe limited edition, often vellum bound and sometimes signed, as well as a larger, less ornately bound quarto "trade' edition. This was often followed by a more modestly presented octavo edition in subsequent years for particular books. The onset of WW1 in 1914 curtailed the market for such quality books, and the public's taste for fantasy and fairies also declined in the 1920s. Rackham invented his own unique technique which resembled photographic reproduction; he would first sketch an outline of his drawing, then lightly block in shapes and details, Afterwards he would add lines in pen and India ink, removing the pencil traces after it had dried. With colour pictures, he would then apply multiple washes of colour until translucent tints were created: 1911 Lovers ink and watercolour 22.8 x 12.6 cm He would also go on to expand the use of silhouette cuts in illustration work, particularly in the period after the First World War, as exemplified by his Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Plate from "Cinderella" Typically, Rackham contributed both colour and monotone illustrations towards the works incorporating his images - and in the case of Hawthorne's Wonder Book, he also provided a number of part-coloured images similar in style to Meiji era Japanese woodcuts. Arthur Rackham died in Limpsfield, Surrey. This is part 1 of an 8-part post on the works of Arthur Rackham: The Ingoldsby Legends is a collection of myths, legends, ghost stories and poetry written supposedly by Thomas Ingoldsby of Tappington Manor, actually a pen-name of an English clergyman named Richard Harris Barham. The legends were first printed during 1837 as a regular series in the magazine Bentley's Miscellany and later in New Monthly Magazine. The legends were illustrated by John Leech and George Cruikshank. They proved immensely popular and were compiled into books published in 1840, 1842 and 1847 by Richard Bentley. They remained popular during the 19th century but have since become little known. An omnibus edition was published in 1879: The Ingoldsby Legends; or Mirth and marvels. 1898 – 1907 Illustrations originally created by Arthur Rackham in 1898 and revised in 1907, published in 1908. 1898 - 1908 The Ingoldsby Legends 1898 - 1907 "The little man had seated himself in the centre of the circle upon the large skull" 1898 - 1907 "Into the bottomless pit he fell slap" 1898 - 1907 "Wandering about and Boo-hoo-ing" 1898 - 1907 "The horn at the gate of the Barbican tower was blown with a loud twenty-trumpeter power" 1898 - 1907 "Sir Thomas, her Lord, was stout of limb" 1898 - 1907 "A flood of brown-stout he was up to his knees in" 1898 - 1907 "A grand pas de deux performed in the very first style by these two" 1898 - 1907 "And the maids cried Good gracious, how very tenacious!" 1898 - 1907 "One kick? It was but one but such a one" 1907 "Sir Rupert the Fearless" 1898 - 1907 "With a countenance only Keeley could put on" Grimm's Fairy Tales is a collection of German fairy tales first published in 1812 by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. They penned many popular children’s stories, including Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Rumpelstiltskin. Illustrations by Rackham produced, and in some cases revised, between 1898 and 1909. 1898 - 1909 Grimm's Fairy Tales Title page Rip Van Winkle is a short story by American author Washington Irving published in 1819, as well as the name of the story's fictional protagonist. Written while Irving was living in Birmingham, England, it was part of a collection entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon. Although the story is set in New York’s Catskill Mountains, Irving later admitted, "When I wrote the story, I had never been on the Catskills." This version originally published in 1905. 1904 - 1905 Rip Van Winkle

The Print This art print displays sharp, vivid images with a high degree of color accuracy. A member of the versatile family of art prints, this high-quality reproduction represents the best of both worlds: quality and affordability. Art prints are created using a digital or offset lithography press. Paper Type: Art Print Finished Size: 12" x 18" Arrives by Sat, Jun 8 Product ID: 16613169

“It may be laid down as a general rule that if a man begins to sing, no one will take any notice of his song except his fellow human beings. This is true even if his song is surpassingly beautiful....