Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham is widely regarded as one of the leading illustrators from the Golden Age of British book illustration which roughly encompassed the years from 1890 until the end of the First World War. During that period, there was a strong market for high quality illustrated books which 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. His 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. His illustrations were chiefly based on robust pen and India ink drawings and he gradually perfected his own uniquely expressive line from his background in journalistic illustration, paired with subtle use of watercolour, a technique which he was able to exploit due to technological developments in photographic reproduction. He would first lightly block in shapes and details of the drawing with a soft pencil, for the more elaborate colour plates often utilising one of a small selection of compositional devices. Over this he would then carefully work in lines of pen and India ink, removing the pencil traces after the drawing had begun to take form. For colour pictures, he would begin painting by building up multiple thin washes of watercolour creating translucent tints. One of the disadvantages of the 3-colour (later 4-colour) printing process in the early years was that definition could be lost in the final print, Rackham would sometimes compensate for this by over-inking his drawings once more after painting. 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. His work is often described as a fusion of a northern European Nordic style strongly influenced by the Japanese woodblock tradition of the early 19th century
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'A Fairy Ring' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'A figure Approaches again' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'A figure Approaches' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'A Gentleman' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'A Song for the Night' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'A Tale to Tell' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'A Talk with the Trees' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'A View of the Day' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'A walk in the Park' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'A Walk with the Fairies' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'A Watchful Eye' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'A Word to the Wise' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'Above the Chimney Tops' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'Alberich drives in a band of Niblungs laden with gold and silver treasure' from 'Rhinegold and the Valkyrie' by Arthur Rackham in 1918 £6.99
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'An Audience' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'At the Ball' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'At the fair' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'Awake in the Shade' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'Away from the Snow' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'Beneath the Fruit Tree' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'Beneath the Tree' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'Erda bids thee beware' from 'Rhinegold and the Valkyrie' by Arthur Rackham in 1918 £6.99
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'Fafner kills Fasolt' from 'Rhinegold and the Valkyrie' by Arthur Rackham in 1918 £6.99
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'Fafner. Hey! Come higher, And stop me this cranny' from 'Rhinegold and the Valkyrie' by Arthur Rackham in 1918 £6.99
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'Fairies across the lake' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'Freia, the fair one' from 'Rhinegold and the Valkyrie' by Arthur Rackham in 1918 £6.99
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'From the Woods' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'Front Page' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'Frontispeice' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'Into the Trees' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'Mime writhes under the lashes he receives' from 'Rhinegold and the Valkyrie' by Arthur Rackham in 1918 £6.99
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'Mime, howling, Ohé! Ohé! Oh! Oh!' from 'Rhinegold and the Valkyrie' by Arthur Rackham in 1918 £6.99
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'Ohé! Ohé! Horrible dragon, O swallow me not!' from 'Rhinegold and the Valkyrie' by Arthur Rackham in 1918 £6.99
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'Once upon a Time' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'One of the Paths that have made themselves' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'Seize the despoiler! Rescue the gold! Help us! Help us! Wòe! Woe!' from 'Rhinegold and the Valkyrie' by Arthur Rackham in 1918 £6.99
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'She Escorted them up the Baby walk and back again' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'Sky Dance' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'Sleeping beauty awaits' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'Some more advice' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'The Birds on the island never got used to him' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'The Bowler Hat' from 'Peter Pan' by Arthur Rackham in 1906 £6.99
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'The Cat and the Birds' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'The Crown' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99
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'The Discussion' from 'Sleeping Beauty' by Arthur Rackham in 1920 £6.99