During the late 1700s – 1800s newspapers, magazines, and illustrated books had become the dominant media of public consumption. Improvements in printing technology allowed illustrators to experiment with colour and new rendering techniques. For my summer project I began researching this ‘Golden Age’ for illustrators and came across Arthur Rackham’s children’s book illustrations.
The Golden Age of Illustration occurred in the late 1800s. These illustrations were mainly found in children’s books. Dominant influences of this era included the arts and crafts movements as well as the Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau movements. Illustrations in this period were often completed alongside a story, therefore the artist’s work featured in popular children’s fairytales.
The “leading” English book illustrator from The Golden Age of Illustration was, Arthur Rackham (1867 – 1939) He is one of the most well known illustrators during this period. Rackham’s illustrated everything from the Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm to William Shakespeare plays. Some of his other work includes illustrations for Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, A Christmas Carol, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.
Arthur Rackham’s technique resembled photographic reproduction; he would sketch an outline of his drawing, and 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, shown in 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 19th century. Rackham’s illustration style will always be relatable and I really like that about his work. A contemporary fairy tale book would still look current and beautiful if his illustrations were incorporated into the stories. I believe Arthur Rackham is a great inspiration for illustrators, whether they are interested in children’s books or a range of illustrative outcomes. There’s so much to learn and appreciate from his composition layout, characters and colour palette.
mark smith 