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Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham

Arthur Rackham

English, 1867-1939
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Arthur Rackham was an English book illustrator. He is recognised as one of the leading figures during the Golden Age of British book illustration. His work is noted for its robust pen and ink drawings, which were combined with the use of watercolour, a technique he developed due to his background as a journalistic illustrator.

Rackham's 51 colour pieces for the Early American tale became a turning point in the production of books since – through colour-separated printing – it featured the accurate reproduction of colour artwork. Some of his best-known works include the illustrations for Rip Van Winkle, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.

Rackham was born at 210 South Lambeth Road, Vauxhall, London as one of 12 children. In 1884, at the age of 17, he was sent on an ocean voyage to Australia to improve his fragile health, accompanied by two aunts. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art.

In 1892, he left his job and started working for the Westminster Budget as a reporter and illustrator. His first book illustrations were published in 1893 in To the Other Side by Thomas Rhodes, but his first serious commission was in 1894 for The Dolly Dialogues, the collected sketches of Anthony Hope, who later went on to write The Prisoner of Zenda. Book illustrating then became Rackham's career for the rest of his life.

By the turn of the century, Rackham had developed a reputation for pen and ink fantasy illustration with richly illustrated gift books such as The Ingoldsby Legends (1898), Gulliver's Travels and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (both 1900). This was developed further through the austere years of the Boer War with regular contributions to children's periodicals such as Little Folks and Cassell's Magazine. In 1901 he moved to Wychcombe Studios near Haverstock Hill, and in 1903 married his neighbour Edyth Starkie. Edith suffered a miscarriage in 1904, but the couple had one daughter, Barbara, in 1908. Although acknowledged as an accomplished black-and-white book illustrator for some years, it was the publication of his full colour plates to Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle by Heinemann in 1905 that particularly brought him into public attention, his reputation being confirmed the following year with J.M.Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, published by Hodder & Stoughton. Income from the books was greatly augmented by annual exhibitions of the artwork at the Leicester Galleries. Rackham won a gold medal at the Milan International Exhibition in 1906 and another one at the Barcelona International Exposition in 1912. His works were included in numerous exhibitions, including one at the Louvre in Paris in 1914.

From 1906 the family lived in Chalcot Gardens, near Haverstock Hill, until moving from London to Houghton, West Sussex in 1920. In 1929 the family settled into a newly built property in Limpsfield, Surrey. Arthur Rackham died in 1939 of cancer at his home.

245 items

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All Through Egypt Every Man Burns a Lamp

All Through Egypt Every Man Burns a Lamp

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Loki and Sigyn

Loki and Sigyn (1901)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
A beautiful little girl clad in rich garments stood there on the threshold smiling

A beautiful little girl clad in rich garments stood there on the threshold smiling (1912)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
A chrysanthemum heard her, and said pointedly, ‘Hoity-toity, what is this’

A chrysanthemum heard her, and said pointedly, ‘Hoity-toity, what is this’ (1913)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
A grand pas de deux performed in the very first style by these two.

A grand pas de deux performed in the very first style by these two. (1911)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
After this the birds said that they would help him no more in his mad enterprise

After this the birds said that they would help him no more in his mad enterprise (1913)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Alas! dear Falada, there thou hangest

Alas! dear Falada, there thou hangest (1920)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
And the maids cried ‘good gracious, how very tenacious!’

And the maids cried ‘good gracious, how very tenacious!’ (1911)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
At length they all pointed their stained fingers at me

At length they all pointed their stained fingers at me (1912)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Bertalda

Bertalda (1912)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Berthalda in the Black Valley

Berthalda in the Black Valley (1912)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
‘Blow, blow, little breeze, And Conrad’s hat seize.’

‘Blow, blow, little breeze, And Conrad’s hat seize.’ (1920)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Building the house for Maimie

Building the house for Maimie (1913)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Bursting forth like a legion of young imps

Bursting forth like a legion of young imps

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Fairies are all more or less in hiding until dusk

Fairies are all more or less in hiding until dusk (1913)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
For years he had been quietly filling his stocking

For years he had been quietly filling his stocking (1913)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
He bounced up and down, and so fearful a frown contracted his brow, you’d have thought he’d been blind.

He bounced up and down, and so fearful a frown contracted his brow, you’d have thought he’d been blind. (1911)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
He could see Undine beneath the crystal vault

He could see Undine beneath the crystal vault (1911)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
He held up the gold piece, crying at each leap of his, ‘False gold! false coin! false coin!’

He held up the gold piece, crying at each leap of his, ‘False gold! false coin! false coin!’ (1912)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
He rescued a maid from the Dey of Algiers.

He rescued a maid from the Dey of Algiers. (1911)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
He saw by the moonlight momentarily unveiled, a little island encircled by the flood ; and there under the branches of the overhanging trees was Undine.

He saw by the moonlight momentarily unveiled, a little island encircled by the flood ; and there under the branches of the overhanging trees was Undine. (1912)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
‘He took his place once more on the bench at the inn-door’

‘He took his place once more on the bench at the inn-door’ (1910)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Hey! up the chimney, lass! Hey after you!

Hey! up the chimney, lass! Hey after you! (1911)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
If anyone lied, or if anyone swore.

If anyone lied, or if anyone swore. (1911)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
If Orpheus first produced the waltz

If Orpheus first produced the waltz (1911)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Into the bottomless pit he fell slap.

Into the bottomless pit he fell slap. (1911)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill (1913)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Jack sneaks into the giant’s house

Jack sneaks into the giant’s house

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
‘Little niece,’ said Kühleborn, ‘forget not that I am here with thee as a guide.’

‘Little niece,’ said Kühleborn, ‘forget not that I am here with thee as a guide.’ (1912)

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
Little Thumbling and his brothers find their way home

Little Thumbling and his brothers find their way home

Arthur Rackham (English, 1867-1939)
Illustration
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