Tribute Tuesday: Arthur Rackham

People who will happily share their preferences in cable TV, overhyped podcasts, and sweet vs. savory crepes seem to predictably clam up when high culture topics come up. In my mind, I divide high culture from your typical culture by asking the simple question, "Can my opinion in what I thought was a matter of taste be publicly deemed wrong, and if it is, am I going to feel really ignorant?" 

When it comes to high culture, we're all carrying a lingering worry that our favorite artist is the worst kind of basic cliche, and our dislike for a certain style or painter just reveals that we aren't cultured enough to get it. 
But fortunately for all parties this is my blog, which means I get to like and dislike whatever the heck I want. 

For some people, the danger comes from admitting that you hate classic British literature or Swedish furniture design. In my case, it's more often art. I can admit that a large part of me hates modern and abstract art. I'm that loser whining in the background of the gallery that I've seen a toddler throw paint filled egg shells at a canvas and achieve the same level of subtlety.

I think I'm drawn to illustration and ink drawings because no one can deny the sheer talent in the piece. Everyone doodles and sketches on the back of napkins from time to time, which means that just about everyone can appreciate how difficult it is to sketch and to illustrate. And I'm willing to go out on a limb here and say that when it comes to intricate, lively illustrations, Arthur Rackham is the real deal. It's called the Golden Age of British book illustration for a reason and Rackham has always been at the front of the pack. 

This is a self-portrait. Not a joke.

I admire intricacy in most things, and art is no exception. Rackham's illustrations speak not only to my love for the romantic, but also to my appreciation for fine detail. Rackham's work draws its intricacy from the tiny ink lines defining the soft watercolors.

So let's examine some of my favorites and see if I can't win you over to the Rackham Fan Club!

Rackham was a major fan of Hans Christian Anderson, and completed this piece for The Snow Queen. Without the fine detailing work in ink, the birds, the queen, and her chariot would all completely blur into that snow. Instead, each component remains distinct, and our little boy in his brown jacket absolutely pops against all of that stark white.  As he should, he feels like a completely mundane, grounded child who has wandered into a fantasy land. 

This piece most captures the haunting aspect by to Rackham's work. Those delicate tiny bare branches are just a wisp of ink, and the watercolor's ombre effect makes the man at the bottom really pop. There should be something harsh and lonely here, but instead the piece's soft blending feels impossibly warm. He feels like a hiker caught mid thought on a hill top.

I actually didn't realize that this was a Rackham at first. The piece feels dynamic and tumultuous. There is very consistent movement here, from the way the drape of her dress blends with the ocean waves to the thick, fluid clouds in the sky standing out against the harsh lines of the cliff. A great example of an illustration supplying a sense of urgency to a tale.  

These peaked my interest because of the unexpectedly bare backgrounds. On the right, Cinderella feels so impossibly regal and well defined that it's as if she has swept onto this blank page from another piece of the book. On the left, our faeries are captured mid-flight in a twilight breeze. These are both different from Rackham's other pieces above because of the use of negative space. Romantic tenderness and movement is added in the undefined, creamy haziness surrounding our main characters. 

I know that for many people illustration (and especially fantastical illustration) doesn't make the priority list when it comes to identifying art's primary masters. Regardless of whether or not Artie is your cup of tea, hopefully you now have a greater appreciation for his talent and for the art form that is literary illustration!