The Magical Illustration of Arthur Rackham
by Beth Carswell
Arthur Rackham
was an illustrator in the late 19th and early 20th century. He was born
in London in 1867. He began studying at the Lambeth School of Art at
the age of 18, and soon found his passion and calling. The first of
Rackham's illustrations to be published in a book were in 1893, in The Dolly Dialogues.
Rackham never looked back. From that first publication, illustration
was his career until the day he died at age 72, of cancer. Rackham's pieces were known for their luxurious use of colour and keen attention to detail. His styles ranged easily from vivid, bright splashes of colour to more muted, subtle tones. He became a member of the Royal Watercolour Society and mastered the watercolour method of painting, seen in many of his works. Many of the books Rackham illustrated include both his black and white and colour plates. As well, some, such as Hawthorne's Wonder Book, include Rackham's experimentation with partially colored prints, similar to the effect seen with Japanese woodblock art.
Much of Rackham's work depicts gnomes, fairies, goblins or other creatures from mythology, folklore or fable. His work has been an inspiration to many, including film director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and modern illustrator Brian Froud.
Whether
illustrating whimsical books for children or darker matter for adults,
Rackham's imaginative, brilliant illustration style was highly sought
after and enhanced any text it accompanied. Rackham died in 1939, and
now, 70 years after his death, his work is collectable and beloved.
Children and adults alike take pleasure in the unique, beautiful art he
provided for some of the world's greatest stories. Rackham's illustrated books include:
- Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
- Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
- Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M. Barrie
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
- A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
- Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué
- Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner
- The Rhinegold and The Valkyrie by Richard Wagner
- Siegfried and The Twilight of the Gods by Richard Wagner
- The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Alfred W. Pollard
- English Fairy Tales by Flora Annie Steel
- The Springtide of Life by Algernon Charles Swinburne
- A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- The Tempest by William Shakespeare
- Tales of Mystery & Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe
Today, Rackham is widely regarded as the best-known artist of illustration's 'Golden Age', which spanned the late 19th to early 20th century. His work is highly collectable. He was prolific, and Rackham's work can contemporarily be found in many volumes and conditions, available to anyone from casual fans on a budget to the most serious collector. We've compiled some of Rackham's gorgeous work, organised by price range.
Please note: prices are approximate to within a small margin, as currencies fluctuate.
Surprisingly Cheap - Under £70.00
The Wonder-Book
Nathaniel Hawthorne
1928
SOLD
First edition, first printing. Fully bound in maroon cloth with gilt lettering and pictorial decoration to the spine and front board. Illustrated throughout with 15 colour plates by Rackham.
Two Years Before
the Mast
Richard Henry Dana
1902
SOLD
The fictional American classic of a sea voyage, published by John C. Winston N.D., Philadelphia. colour illustrations by Arthur Rackham, dated 1902. 304 pp. Text tight & intact. Pictorial frontispiece.
Tales of a Traveller, 2 Volumes
Washington Irving
1895
SOLD
Buckthorne Edition, in two volumes. Illustrated cloth with ornate gilt lettering, gilt shield on front cover, bracketed by green trees. Bright spines and covers, slightly bumped. Clean and tight, a beautiful set.
Storyland: An Illustrated Volume for Young Folks
1914
SOLD
Contains children's magazine "St. Nicholas" May-October 1914. colour frontis, 3 full colour and one b&w plate by Rackham. Including "The Frog Prince", "Puss in Boots" and "Jack and the Beanstalk".
Faithful Friends, A Collection of Short Stories
1913
£64.80
A nice, bright copy of this 1913 collection of illustrations and stories for young people. Green cloth spine, green patterned boards with colour pictorial onlay by Frank Adams.
Frugal Fairytales - £70.00-£200.00
The Sleeping Beauty
C.S. Evans
1920
SOLD
Gorgeous 1920 1st of this fairytale classic. Illustrated by Rackham with tissue-guarded frontis and numerous silhouettes with and without colour. Book is bright, shows very little wear.
Where Flies the Flag
Henry Harbour
1904
£174.18
Very early book for Rackham, most unusual illustrations. Front endpaper missing, and one of the 6 coloured plates by Rackham is missing also. A copy of a scarce book.
Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine
1898
£125.00
The original of Winston Churchill's "Man Overboard: An Episode of the Red Sea" as published in volume 1 of Harmsworth's, (January 1899), illustrated by Henry Austin.
The Book of Betty Barber
Maggie Browne
1920
£120.00
Appears to be original printing with 1920 title page tipped in. Includes 12 black and white plates and six colour plates of illustration by Rackham.
Good-Night (Buenas Noches)
Eleanor Gates
1907
£104.93
Grey, cloth covered boards with embossed illustration and printing. Tissue covered frontispiece plus four other colourful Rackham illustrations.
Affordable Arthur- £200.00-£350.00
Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen
Hans Andersen
1932
£241.33
Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, featuring 12 colour plates by Rackham including frontispiece, and numerous other illustrations in black & white. Includes scarce dust jacket.
The Rhinegold
& The Valkyrie
Richard Wagner
1910
SOLD
First American trade edition of Wagner's The Rhinegold and the Valkyrie. Illustrations and designs throughout. These are among Rackham's finest (and least known) illustrations.
Cinderella
C.S. Evans
1919
£300.00
First Rackham Edition. colour plate frontispiece with decorative border and several silhouettes, some with colour background. An honest and lovely copy.
Bracebridge Hall or The Humourists
Washington Irving
1896
£209.85
In two volumes. A total of 28 inserted plates by Rackham and other illustrators. White cloth with gilt titling and Margaret Armstrong design with details in light green on the spines and front covers.
Some British Ballads
1919
£332.27
1st edition, 1st printing. No credit is given for whoever might have edited the collection. Profusely illustrated through out with stunning tissue-guarded tipped in colour plates. A lovely copy.
A Pretty Penny- £350.00 - £700.00
The Vicar of Wakefield
Oliver Goldsmith
1929
£495.00
First Rackham edition in the deluxe binding. Original full olive green Persian Morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, pictorial block to front board gilt depicting the plate "An Epitaph for my Wife".
Springtide of Life
Algernon Charles Swinburne
1919
£650.00
Limited US Edition of 765 copies of which this is number 677 signed by Rackham. With 8 tipped in colour, captioned tissues, numerous black and white illustrations throughout.
Tales of Mystery
and Imagination
Edgar Allan Poe
1935
£454.68
A favorite and relatively scarce Rackham book. Today, of course, both Poe and Rackham are highly collectable, and copies of this UK Harrap edition in their dust jackets are very scarce.
Gulliver's Travels
Jonathan Swift
1909
£583.90
Jonathan Swift's famous satire at its finest. First Rackham Edition. Original green cloth, titles and illustration to upper board and spine gilt, top edge brown. Fine in near fine jacket, nicked to corners and head of spine.
Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures
1927
£349.76
Introduction by Sir Athur Quiller-Couch. Golden brown cloth with gilt stamping on upper board and spine. Contains all 44 colour illustrations by Rackham with captioned tissue guards for each. A lovely copy.
Invaluable Illustrations - £750.00 - £1500.00
The Zankiwank and the Bletherwitch
S.J. Adair Fitzgerald
1896
£1049.27
A scarce book and original Fantastic Fairy Extravaganza! This is a green cloth hard cover with a pictorial and titling stamp in gold which is impressed on to the front cover and with gold titling and three laughing cat portraits on the spine.
Comus
John Milton
1921
£750.00
Green cloth with gilt lettering and vignettes in the original pictorial dust jacket. 24 mounted colour plates under captioned tissue guards, plus a number of black and white drawings. The illustrated dust jacket is relatively scarce.
Ingoldsby Legends Mirth & Marvels
Thomas Ingoldsby
1907
£1255.62
Limited to 560 copies of which this is hand numbered 483 and signed by Rackham. 12 tinted plates and 24 tipped-in colour plates. Signed and very collectable -a scarce title of an important Rackham work in a handsome presentation.
Mother Goose: Old Nursery Rhymes
1913
£975.00
13 colour plates, numerous black & white illustrations. In a protective solander box with gilt entitled leather spine. FIRST US EDITION. Larger plates and format than the UK edition. Dust jacket included.
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
J.M. Barrie
1912
£1500.00
First published as a deluxe gift book in 1909, with 49 colour plates by Rackham at the end. This new edition has a colour frontispiece, colour plates are distributed through the text, and there are additional woodcuts not in the earlier version.
Not Quite An Arm and a Leg - £1500.00-£3000.00
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Washington Irving
1928
£2950.00
Signed Limited Edition of 250 copies of which this is number 86. Finely bound in full black morocco. With 8 tipped in colour plates and numerous black and white illustrations throughout.
The Tempest
William Shakespeare
1926
£2500.00
Limited Edition of 520 numbered copies signed by Rackham. Original vellum spine and boards, titles and decoration to spine and upper board gilt, top edge gilt, others uncut, complete with dustjacket.
Undine
Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué
1909
£2950.00
#576 of 750 numbered copies signed by Rackham. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full navy blue morocco. With 15 tipped in colour plates by Rackham.
Poor Cecco
Margery Williams Bianco
1925
£2098.54
The story of a dog who went out to explore the world. New York 1st edition 1st issue with illustrated end papers. Fine, no rubbing of gilt or foxing with the 7 full page illustrations.
Grimm's Fairy Tales
The Brothers Grimm
1909
£2500.00
With a compliments slip tipped in to the verso of the front free endpaper: "With Mr Arthur Rackham's compliments". Finely bound in full red morocco, 40 mounted colour plates.
The Cream of the Crop - Over £3500.00
Peer Gynt: A Dramatic Poem
Henrik Ibsen
1936
£25000.00
Number nine of a special deluxe edition of 10 copies containing an original, signed watercolour by Rackham.
The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book
Arthur Rackham
1933
£22500.00
Signed, limited deluxe edition. Contains signed original full watercolour of "The Key" showing a tearful Fatima giving the bloody key to Blue Beard, tipped in.
A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
1915
£6645.36
Volume can actually be displayed as a pictorial art work, being a transcription in leather of an Arthur Rackham watercolour, originally created for this limited, signed edition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
Rip Van Winkle
Washington Irving
1905
£4750.00
Signed, Limited Edition. One of 250 numbered copies. 51 mounted colour plates by Rackham bound in back as usual. Signed by Rackham.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare
1908
£3500.00
This is No. 438. Signed by Rackham on the limitation page. Additional half title-page; woodcut vignette title-page; forty colour plates, of which one is the frontispiece.
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