Arthur Rackham created the world of fairies, elves, gnomes and the other woodland creatures. He influenced Alan Lee and Brian Froud. His critters filled children's head for nearly a century now!
Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham 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. 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 particularly popular books. The
onset of the war in 1914 curtailed the market for such quality books,
and the public's taste for fantasy and fairies also declined in the
1920s.
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.
Technique
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. 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.
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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 block images similar in style to
Meiji era Japanese
woodblocks.
Rackham's work is often described as a fusion of a northern European
'Nordic' style strongly influenced by the Japanese woodblock tradition
of the 19th century.
