The Arthur Rackham Art Book - Volume I

by Pook Press, Arthur Rackham (Illustrator)

This book forms part of a series, dedicated to the artwork of Arthur Rackham ­(1867 - 1939), one of the most celebrated artists of the British Golden Age of Illustration. Over his long and illustrious career, he contributed to over 150 books, magazines and periodicals, resulting in a vast array of original artworks. Whether producing whimsical children's images or murkier, foreboding drawings for adults, Rackham's unique style of illustration was (and still is) admired by countless collectors, critics and the general public. For the first time, this book brings together the entirety of Rackham's stunning images, sourced from rare and original books, in order that the modern reader may fully appreciate his art. This first volume comprises of over 340 black and white and colour illustrations by Rackham from his works dating from 1896 - 1910, and includes images from The Zankiwank and the Bletherwitch (1896), Tales From Shakespeare (1899) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1907), Grimm's Tales (1909) and Wagner's Ring Cycle (1910) - to name but a few. The book also contains a biography of Rackham's personal, professional and artistic life, as well as an introduction to the fascinating 'Golden Age' period of illustration.

372 pages, Paperback

Published October 22, 2014

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arthur Rackham does make beautiful illustrations. I like his colored ones more than his black and white ones. The ones I like the most are from “A Midnight Summer’s Dream”, “Undine,” and “The Valkyrie”. I am not impressed with how he drew male Vikings. A lot of them looked a bit haggard, in my opinion. I like his illustrations of mermaids, princesses, and water nymphs. They look so beautiful and majestic!

[Ronald Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Arthur Rackham Art Book - Volume I is an fine collection of Rackham artwork and line drawings. Sadly, the 346 plates only covers his book illustrations until 1910 and there is no evidence of a second volume from Pook Press (even though they have published 63 volumes containing Rackham illustrations). The kindle version allows expansion of the artwork but the resolution of the illustrations isn't refined enough to give great detail. But still, this work is worth the price. The introductory pieces are a duplicate of the material included in the publisher's The Art of Arthur Rackham – Celebrating 150 Years. There is some artwork in the celebratory volume that is not in this book.