Arthur Rackham

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What artist do you know that has illustrated classics including 'The Wind in the Willows' 'Peter Pan' 'Alice in Wonderland' 'The Sleeping Beauty' 'Cinderella' 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm'?

Born in London, in 1867, Arthur Rackham's magical illustrations have attained a classic status, making his books among the most highly collected of all illustrated stories. Rackham himself however, has remained a shadowy figure, as elusive as the fairies and gnomes that inhabit many of his pictures.

Arthur Rackham, photograph taken c.1890's, private collection. >

Son of Alfred and Annie Rackham, Arthur Rackham was born into a large family. At the age of approximately 18, Rackham followed his father's example and took work as a clerk. However, his interest in art was constant. Encouraged by a visit to Australia to improve his health at the tender age of 16, Rackham had evidently had ample opportunity to improve his painting skills and plan for the future. Work was necessary to pay for tuition and keep, but Rackham pursued his keen interest in art by attending evening classes at Lambeth School of Art.

< 'A Fairy Song'. Pen & ink watercoulour, 1928-1929.

North Shore, Sydney'. Watercolour, 1884. Private collection. >

In the late 1880's Arthur Rackham career as an artist became more established when two watercolour illustrations were accepted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and later sold. During this still shadowy period of his career, Rackham began submitting drawings to some of the illustrated magazines of the period. Eventually, in 1892, Rackham resigned from his job as a clerk and joined the staff of the Pall Mall Budget magazine, for which he had been illustrating for over a year.

Rackham's career continued with his work expanding to include the Westminster Budget and Gazette. By the early 1900's Rackham had gained the well deserved reputation of an illustrator who could turn his hand to the widest variety of subjects.

< 'Into the Bottomless Pit He Fell Slap'. Colour process plate, 1907. From the Ingoldsby Legends.

Arthur Rackham's career was taking off! In 1898 Rackham was commissioned to produce 100 black and white illustrations for the Ingoldsby Legends, and later produced illustrations for Lamb's Tales in 1899, and Gulliver's Travels in 1900. In 1903, Rackham married a fellow artist, Edyth Starkie. In 1904 Rackham was again commissioned to illustrate, but this time in colour. The book was Rip Van Winkle. His next work was for the book Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, greatly admired by the author, J.M. Barrie. A dramatic move in 1907 was to re-illustrate Alice in Wonderland from the original work of Tenniel.

A count of Arthur Rackham's total book illustrations shows he published more than 3,300 individual images and decorations, a figure that would greatly increase if his magazine and miscellaneous work was added to it. Rackham's final work, The Wind in the Willows, was a commission he had always longed for but did not live to see published. Rackham died in 1939. But, as you briefly reflect on the career and life of this amazing and talented artist, surely Arthur Rackham will continue to live on through his work as one of the world's most eternally popular artists.

'They all crowded round it, panting and asking 'but who has won?''. Pen and ink watercolour, 1907. Alice in Wonderland.>

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