Arthur Rackham (1867–1939)
Author of Greek Myths: A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys
About the Author
Arthur Rackham was born in London, England. 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 show more 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. Rackham invented his own unique technique which resembled photographic reproduction; he would first sketch an outline of his drawing, 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 color pictures, he would then apply multiple washes of color until transparent tints were created. Arthur Rackham died in 1939 of cancer in his home in Limpsfield, Surrey. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Arthur Rackham (1867-1939). Self portrait.
Works by Arthur Rackham
Greek Myths: A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys (1851) — Illustrator, some editions; Illustrator — 1,778 copies
The Arthur Rackham Treasury: 86 Full-Color Illustrations (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) (2005) — Illustrator — 166 copies
Peter Pan: The Complete Adventures 7 copies
Fairy Tales: 2 (A studio book) 3 copies
The Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tales 2 copies
Some British ballads, illustr. by A. Rackham — Illustrator — 2 copies
The Land of Enchantment 1 copy
THE FAIRY TALES OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM ILLUSTRATED BY ARTHUR RACKHAM — Illustrator — 1 copy
Irish Fairy Tales 1ST Edition — Illustrator — 1 copy
Le Livre des Ballades — Illustrator — 1 copy
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes 1 copy
The Peter Pan Portfolio 1 copy
Fiabe popolari inglesi 1 copy
Land of Enchantment 1 copy
Le roi Arthur 1 copy
Associated Works
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass (1865) — Illustrator, some editions — 25,711 copies
The Children of Odin: The Book of Northern Myths (1920) — Cover artist, some editions — 1,108 copies
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1906) — Illustrator, some editions; Editor, some editions — 894 copies
The Annotated Mother Goose: Nursery Rhymes Old and New, Arranged and Explained (1962) — Illustrator — 631 copies
Wagner : The Ring of the Nibelung [libretto] (1876) — Illustrator, some editions; Illustrator, some editions — 566 copies
The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (1900) — Illustrator, some editions — 370 copies
The Great Fairy Tale Tradition: From Straparola and Basile to the Brothers Grimm [Norton Critical Edition] (2001) — Illustrator — 361 copies
Grimm's Fairy Tales {Rackham illustrations} (1996) — Illustrator; Illustrator, some editions — 167 copies
Wagner : Siegfried + Twilight of the gods [libretto] (1853) — Illustrator, some editions — 64 copies
Rackham's Fairies, Elves and Goblins: More than 80 Full-Color Illustrations (2007) — Illustrator — 46 copies
Children's Classics: Cinderella & Other Classic Italian Fairy Tales (Children's Classics) (1993) — Illustrator — 30 copies
J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens Retold for Little People (1929) — Illustrator, some editions — 27 copies
Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Other Classic English Fairy Tales (1994) — Illustrator — 26 copies
Shakespeare Illustrated: Art by Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Charles Robinson and Others (Dover Fine Art, History of… (2011) — Illustrator — 24 copies
Washington Irving: A Treasury: Rip Van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Old Christmas (2012) — Illustrator, some editions — 19 copies
The illustrators : the British art of illustration 1800-2002 (2002) — Front cover illustrator — 13 copies
Kazki dlja ditej ta vsijeji rodini: iljustraciji Artura Rekhema (2016) — Illustrator, some editions — 2 copies
De Walkure : eerste dag van de trilogie De Ring van den Neveling — Illustrator, some editions — 1 copy
13 Dark Tales by Poe (Selected by J. Reder White) (Classics Collection) — Illustrator — 1 copy
Godenschemering : derde dag van de trilogie De ring van den Neveling — Illustrator, some editions — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Rackham, Arthur
- Birthdate
- 1867-09-19
- Date of death
- 1939-09-06
- Burial location
- Golders Green Crematorium, London, England, UK
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- England
UK - Birthplace
- Lewisham, London, England, UK
- Place of death
- Limpsfield, Surrey, England, UK
- Cause of death
- cancer
- Places of residence
- Limpsfield, Surrey, England, UK
Houghton, West Sussex, England, UK
London, England, UK - Education
- Lambeth School of Art
- Occupations
- office worker
artist
illustrator - Relationships
- Starkie, Enid (niece by marriage)
Starkie, Edyth (wife) - Organizations
- Art Workers' Guild
- Awards and honors
- Royal Society of Painters in Water-Colours (1908)
Gold Medal, Milan International Exhibition (1906)
Gold Medal, Barcelona International Exposition (1912)
Members
Reviews
Aesop's Fables (Illustrated by Arthur Rackham with… by Aesop
Throughout traditional literature, there are few illustrators who have made an impression as Arthur Rackham. The playful characteristics and the anthropomorphization of Aesop's animals brings them to life. Arthur Rackham illustrations are synonymous with traditional literature having illustrated Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, The Ingoldsby Legends, English Fairytales and Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle in three volumes. Rackham's ink and watercolor images have the textural detail that not many had in the late 1800s/ early 1900s, and his serene human faces and expressive animals and magical creatures ignite within the imagination. Though Arthur Rackham died before many awards were given, in 2013 the Society of Illustrators in America gave Rackham the posthumous honor of entry into its Hall of Fame.… (more)
Various Articles on Baseball Included
I am a fan of mythology specifically greek mythology because this is meant for children it's a bit easier for them to comprehend but that doesn't mean I would not still love mythology.
The tale of the sleeping princess awoken by her handsome prince is a well known one. The precious child long sought after by a prosperous King and Queen is finally delivered to the great joy and delight of the kingdom. However disaster strikes when an offended fairy, not invited to the christening through her own reclusiveness that caused others to forget her existence, proceeds to curse the child to death on her fifteenth birthday. Luckily another fairy was able to alter the curse so that not death but sleep would befall the princess. And so a hundred years later the sleeping princess was awoken by her prince and they all lived happily ever after.
The Sleeping Beauty is a classic story for so many reasons; it is a tale of caution, to not offend powerful fairies or go wandering into locked towers. But more than this it demonstrates that you cannot run from your fears but must face the inevitable, come what may. A story that speaks to the romantic in all of us, that true love is worth waiting for, even if it takes a hundred years. Ultimately, though, it is about the curse of ignorance and the power of knowledge, for if someone had thought to tell the poor girl of her curse she might not have been so keen to use a spinning wheel. A much beloved classic here retold that should be reread.… (more)
The Sleeping Beauty is a classic story for so many reasons; it is a tale of caution, to not offend powerful fairies or go wandering into locked towers. But more than this it demonstrates that you cannot run from your fears but must face the inevitable, come what may. A story that speaks to the romantic in all of us, that true love is worth waiting for, even if it takes a hundred years. Ultimately, though, it is about the curse of ignorance and the power of knowledge, for if someone had thought to tell the poor girl of her curse she might not have been so keen to use a spinning wheel. A much beloved classic here retold that should be reread.… (more)
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