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

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

Click on image to enlarge...lean back...imagine the art on YOUR wall* *Low Resolution Images are used online. Colors may vary according to your monitor settings. Title: Fairy Dance Artist: Arthur Rackham Fine Giclée Print This print delivers a vivid image with maximum color accuracy and exceptional resolution. The standard for museums and galleries around the world. (Please be aware that some older images are naturally not of the same sharpness as one would expect from a modern image.) Paper Size: 11"x17" Untrimmed Archival Quality Suitable for Framing If you have special area of interest or subject matter that you do not see listed, please send an inquiry. I am pleased to search my inventory for you.

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

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Arthur Rackham - Undine - Norse Mythology Print Poster Museum-quality posters made on thick and durable matte paper. Add a wonderful accent to your room and office with these posters that are sure to brighten any environment. • Paper thickness: 10.3 mil • Paper weight: 5.6 oz/y² (192 g/m²) • Giclée printing quality • Opacity: 94%

Richard Wagner’s (1813-1883) Ring or Ring Cycle (Der Ring des Nibelungen) is a set of four epic operas based on Germanic mythology. The Ring Cycle includes: 1. Rhine Gold 2.The Valkyrie 3. Siegfried 4.Twilight of the Gods. The operas follow the struggles of Norse gods, heroes, and mythical creatures over a magic Ring that grants domination over the entire world. Drama and intrigue continue through three generations of protagonists, until the final cataclysmic ending of their mythic world. ___ Illustrator: Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939) leading 'Golden Age' illustrator ___ Read and view images of Rhinegold & The Valkyrie: archive.org/stream/rhinegoldvalkyri00wagn#page/n5/mode/2up Read and view images of Siegfried & The Twilight of the gods: archive.org/stream/siegfriedtwiligh00wagn#page/n7/mode/2up Complete compellation of color images on The Golden Age blog: thegoldenagesite.blogspot.com/2014/03/blog-post.html

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Amid the thickest darkness of World War I, a luminous beacon of the magical inside the macabre.

Arthur Rackham self-portrait 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 6 of an 8-part post on the works of Arthur Rackham. For full biographical notes see part 1. The Romance of King Arthur is Alfred W. Pollard's version of Malory's Morte d'Arthur and includes tales of King Arthur, Sir Launcelot, Sir Gareth, Sir Tristram, Sir Launcelot and Dame Elaine, Sir Galahad and the Quest of the Holy Grail, and Launcelot, Guenever, and King Arthur. Malory's own Morte d'Arthur was compiled from folk tales, with the addition of some original material related to Sir Gareth. The original version of the tales was first published by William Caxton in 1485 and the Malory's compilation is regarded as the best-known work of English-language Arthurian literature. In preparing for the commission, Rackham turned to his own copy of Beardsley's "Morte D'Arthur" and, following the pattern of the Beardsley version, drew square and rectangular chapter headings to be set at irregular intervals up and down the page. As in Beardsley, these have a stark black and white appearance, though Rackham cannot resist the occasional wryly humorous touch such as a barking dog or a jester's head. The closest Rackham comes to Beardsley, however, is in his illustration of 'Sangreal', a flaming lidded chalice carried by an attenuated golden-haired white-robed maiden. This homage to Aubrey is based closely on Beardsley's own angel in 'The Achieving of the Sangreal', the frontispiece to Volume Two of "Morte D'Arthur". "Sangreal" by Arthur Rackham Aubrey Beardsley "The Achieving of the Sangreal" 1893-94 1917 Cover of The Romance of King Arthur English Fairy Tales edited by Flora Annie Steel (1847 –1929). In 1867 Flora Annie Webster married Henry William Steel, a member of the Indian civil service, and for the next twenty-two years lived in India, chiefly in the Punjab, with which most of her books are connected. She acted as school inspector and mediator in local arguments. She encouraged the production of local handicrafts and collected folk-tales, a collection of which she published in 1884. Her interest in schools and the education of women gave her a special insight into native life and character. A year before leaving India, she co-authored and published The Complete Indian Housekeeper, giving detailed directions to European women on all aspects of household management in India. In 1889 the family moved back to Scotland, and she continued her writing there. This version originally published in 1918. 1918 Cover of English Fairy Tales Title page "Tree of mine! O tree of mine! Have you seen my naughty little maid?" "Well!" she chuckled, "I am in luck!" The Three Bears "Ah! Somebody has been at my porridge, and eaten it all up!" "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman" Many's the beating he had from the broomstick or the ladle Mr. and Mrs. Vinegar at home She went along, and went along, and went along Cinderella retold by Charles Seddon Evans (1883 – 1944). C. S. Evans joined William Heinemann publishers in 1914, and became a director of the company in 1922. The title character of Cinderella is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune. The story was first published by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697, and later by the Brothers Grimm in their folk tale collection Grimms' Fairy Tales. Although both the story's title and the character's name change in different languages, in English-language folklore "Cinderella" is the archetypal name. The word "Cinderella” has come to mean one whose attributes were unrecognised, or one who unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect. The still-popular story of "Cinderella" continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending plot elements to a wide variety of media. This version originally published in 1919. 1919 Cover of Cinderella Title page Frontispiece

Arthur Rackham's work defined the style of his era and beyond

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...

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 5 of an 8-part post on the works of Arthur Rackham. For full biographical notes see part 1. Aesop's Fables is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and story-teller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BC. The Greek historian Herodotus mentions in passing that "Aesop the fable writer" was a slave who lived in Ancient Greece during the 5th century BCE (Before the Common Era). Among references in other writers, Aristophanes, in his comedy The Wasps, represented the protagonist Philocleon as having learnt the "absurdities" of Aesop from conversation at banquets; Plato wrote in Phaedo that Socrates whiled away his jail time turning some of Aesop's fables "which he knew" into verses. Nonetheless, for two main reasons - because numerous morals within Aesop's attributed fables contradict each other, and because ancient accounts of Aesop's life contradict each other - the modern view is that Aesop probably did not solely compose all those fables attributed to him, if he even existed at all. This version originally published in 1912: 1912 Cover of Aesop's Fables Title page The Hare and the Tortoise The Gnat and the Lion The Crab and his Mother The Quack Frog The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea The Blackamoor The Two Pots Venus and the Cat The Travellers and the Plane-tree The Trees and the Axe The Lion, Jupiter, and the Elephant The Ass in the Lion's Skin The Bear and the Fox The Fisherman Piping The Fox and the Crow The Frogs and the Well The Frogs asking for a King The North Wind and the Sun The Oak and the Reeds The Owl and the Birds The Wolf and the Goat The Wolf and the Horse 1913 Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures: 1913 Cover of Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures Adrift Butterflies Fairy Wife Goblins Marjorie and Margaret Santa Claus Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one "nursery rhyme". A Christmas pantomime called Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom. The so-called "Mother Goose" rhymes and stories have formed the basis for many classic British pantomimes. Mother Goose is generally depicted in literature and book illustration as an elderly country woman in a tall hat and shawl, a costume identical to the peasant costume worn in Wales in the early 20th century, but is also sometimes depicted as a goose (usually wearing a bonnet). This version originally published in 1913: 1913 Cover of Mother Goose Title page A Little Nothing Woman As I was going to St Ives... Bye, baby bunting Hark! Hark! The Dogs do Bark! Jack Sprat could eat no fat Little Miss Muffet The Fair Maid who the first of May... The Man in the wilderness asked me... There was a crooked old man... 301 There was an old woman who lived under a hill Imagina by Julia Ellsworth Ford, with illustrations by Arthur Rackham and Lauren Ford published in 1914: 1914 Cover of Imagina Frontispiece "Faerie Folk" "Please, Mermaid, come out where it is sunny." A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in 1843. The story tells of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation resulting from supernatural visits from Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published in early Victorian Era Britain, a period when there was both strong nostalgia for old Christmas traditions and an initiation of new practices such as Christmas trees and greeting cards. Dickens's sources for the tale appear to be many and varied but are principally the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales. The tale has been viewed by critics as an indictment of 19th-century industrial capitalism. it has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and sombreness. A Christmas Carol remains popular and has never been out of print. This version originally published in 1915: 1915 Cover of A Christmas Carol Title page The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste and moaning as they went. The way he went after that plump sister in the lace tucker! There was nothing very cheerful in the climate. The ghost of Marley visits Scrooge Little Brother and Little Sister is a well-known European fairy tale which was, among others, written down by the Brothers Grimm in their collection of Children's and Household Tales (Grimm's Fairy Tales). This version originally published in 1917: 1917 Cover of Little Brother and Little Sister Title page Instantly they lay still, all turned to stone Maid Maleen Suddenly the branches twined round her and turned into two arms. The Gnomes The True Sweetheart What did she find there?..but real ripe strawberries

1867 – 1939 Born London, England, an influential and successful English book illustrator. His work brought to life characters i...

"In the mid-path of my life, I woke to find myself in a dark wood," writes Dante in The Divine Comedy, beginning a quest that will lead to transformation and redemption. A journey through the dark of the woods is...

I know it was Shakespeare’s year last year (400 years – I suppose waiting for 500 might be asking too much) so I’m a little late celebrating by continuing this series of posts fea…

“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 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 5 of an 8-part post on the works of Arthur Rackham. For full biographical notes see part 1. Aesop's Fables is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and story-teller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BC. The Greek historian Herodotus mentions in passing that "Aesop the fable writer" was a slave who lived in Ancient Greece during the 5th century BCE (Before the Common Era). Among references in other writers, Aristophanes, in his comedy The Wasps, represented the protagonist Philocleon as having learnt the "absurdities" of Aesop from conversation at banquets; Plato wrote in Phaedo that Socrates whiled away his jail time turning some of Aesop's fables "which he knew" into verses. Nonetheless, for two main reasons - because numerous morals within Aesop's attributed fables contradict each other, and because ancient accounts of Aesop's life contradict each other - the modern view is that Aesop probably did not solely compose all those fables attributed to him, if he even existed at all. This version originally published in 1912: 1912 Cover of Aesop's Fables Title page The Hare and the Tortoise The Gnat and the Lion The Crab and his Mother The Quack Frog The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea The Blackamoor The Two Pots Venus and the Cat The Travellers and the Plane-tree The Trees and the Axe The Lion, Jupiter, and the Elephant The Ass in the Lion's Skin The Bear and the Fox The Fisherman Piping The Fox and the Crow The Frogs and the Well The Frogs asking for a King The North Wind and the Sun The Oak and the Reeds The Owl and the Birds The Wolf and the Goat The Wolf and the Horse 1913 Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures: 1913 Cover of Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures Adrift Butterflies Fairy Wife Goblins Marjorie and Margaret Santa Claus Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one "nursery rhyme". A Christmas pantomime called Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom. The so-called "Mother Goose" rhymes and stories have formed the basis for many classic British pantomimes. Mother Goose is generally depicted in literature and book illustration as an elderly country woman in a tall hat and shawl, a costume identical to the peasant costume worn in Wales in the early 20th century, but is also sometimes depicted as a goose (usually wearing a bonnet). This version originally published in 1913: 1913 Cover of Mother Goose Title page A Little Nothing Woman As I was going to St Ives... Bye, baby bunting Hark! Hark! The Dogs do Bark! Jack Sprat could eat no fat Little Miss Muffet The Fair Maid who the first of May... The Man in the wilderness asked me... There was a crooked old man... 301 There was an old woman who lived under a hill Imagina by Julia Ellsworth Ford, with illustrations by Arthur Rackham and Lauren Ford published in 1914: 1914 Cover of Imagina Frontispiece "Faerie Folk" "Please, Mermaid, come out where it is sunny." A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in 1843. The story tells of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation resulting from supernatural visits from Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published in early Victorian Era Britain, a period when there was both strong nostalgia for old Christmas traditions and an initiation of new practices such as Christmas trees and greeting cards. Dickens's sources for the tale appear to be many and varied but are principally the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales. The tale has been viewed by critics as an indictment of 19th-century industrial capitalism. it has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and sombreness. A Christmas Carol remains popular and has never been out of print. This version originally published in 1915: 1915 Cover of A Christmas Carol Title page The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste and moaning as they went. The way he went after that plump sister in the lace tucker! There was nothing very cheerful in the climate. The ghost of Marley visits Scrooge Little Brother and Little Sister is a well-known European fairy tale which was, among others, written down by the Brothers Grimm in their collection of Children's and Household Tales (Grimm's Fairy Tales). This version originally published in 1917: 1917 Cover of Little Brother and Little Sister Title page Instantly they lay still, all turned to stone Maid Maleen Suddenly the branches twined round her and turned into two arms. The Gnomes The True Sweetheart What did she find there?..but real ripe strawberries

Many artists have created works based on The Ring Cycle but without doubt the best known, and most popular, are the 64 plates and 2 frontpiece sketches Arthur Rackham created for the two volume gif…

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939) leading 'Golden Age' illustrator. “Undine” (novella) by Friedrich de la Motte FouquéI - Undine, a water spirit, marries a knight in order to gain a soul. Contains some themes similar to “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen. Read online: archive.org/stream/undine00lamo#page/n7/mode/2up

Words and Pictures is the online magazine of SCBWI British Isles.

Arthur Rackham – Art Gallery of Complete Illustrations from the First Edition of Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures, published in 1913.

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