Friday, April 12, 2013

Friday Feature: Arthur Rackham

Alice in Wonderland by Arthur Rackham

Dark and mysterious the artwork of Arthur Rackham had a profound influence on book illustration at the turn of the 20th century.  I especially love how he mixed realism with an ethereal mysticism transporting the viewer to the world of fantasy.  Wolves bare their teeth and bodies are floated off into the air... as if each character is not a solid structure but the spirit of an emotional idea.  Check out his dynamic renditions of "Alice in Wonderland" and "British Fairy Tales" if you favor creepy depictions of these classic tales.

Fairy from Peter Pan by Arthur Rackham

To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.
-Hans Christian Andersen

Wolf Hunt by Arthur Rackham

1 comment:

  1. Thank you also for sharing these wonderful illustrations. Yes, there is a supernatural air to some of them...but he chose very well with his Alice I think...the story iselft is indeed mysterious and strange and he captured the images maginificently I believe

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