Annie French ~ Favorite Illustrator

"In The Woods"

Annie French (1872 - 1965)

Illustration by Annie French (1872 - 1965)

I wrote a version of this blog post at a companion blog in 2010. I'm re-posting it here because the link to the old post is no longer active. I love Annie French's work! I have more of her illustrations posted at my Art of Narrative Tumblr, and on my Art of Narrative Facebook.

I became aware of Annie French after seeing another one of her wonderful illustrations at Children's/ Fantasy Illustrations, a great blog featuring classic and modern book illustration (that no longer exists). The top illustration is my favorite of the two. If anyone knows what stories these illustrate, please let me know!

I couldn't find a whole lot about her, but here's a bit:

Artist Profile: Annie French
19th & 20th Century European Artist 1872 - 1965

Biography: The daughter of a metallurgist, Annie French was born in Glasgow and studied at the Glasgow School of Art under Fra Newbery and the Belgian Symbolist, Jean Delville (1896-1902). Influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, Aubrey Beardsley and Jessie M King, she developed a style combining vivid colours, curvilinearity of form and almost confetti-like textures... (To read the biography at its original site, please click on her name!)

Copied Here:

The daughter of a metallurgist, Annie French was born in Glasgow and studied at the Glasgow School of Art under Fra Newbery and the Belgian Symbolist, Jean Delville (1896-1902).Influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, Aubrey Beardsley and Jessie M King, she developed a style combining vivid colours, curvilinearity of form and almost confetti-like textures. While still a student, she contributed an illustration to The Book of the Jubilee of the University of Glasgow (1901), and later illustrated one book, a selection of Heine?s poems for Foulis (1908). However, her watercolours (often on vellum) and drawings are mainly in the form of illustrations, and she designed a number of postcards and greetings cards. In 1906, she began to share a studio with Bessie Innes Young and Jane Younger and, three years later, became Tutor in Ceramic Decoration at Glasgow School of Art as successor to JESSIE M KING. But following her marriage to the artist George Woolliscroft Rhead (1854-1920), she settled in London, and became a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy, until the mid nineteen-twenties. She died in Jersey. © Loch Gallery – Printed under “Fair Use” for Educational Purposes

Text © 2016 Art of Narrative

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Story of the Little Merman ~ 1909

Enjoy these rare images by Frank Cheyne Papé (British, 1878-1972) for The Story of the Little Merman by Ethel Reader, published in 1909 by MacMillan & Co. Limited, London. There are two fairy tales illustrated in this book, The Story of the Little Merman, and The Story of the Queen of the Gnomes and the True Prince.

 Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Story of the Little Merman ~ 1909

The Story of the Little Merman

The Little Merman swam to the shore, and, creeping
up the strand, lay on the yellow sands at her feet.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Story of the Little Merman ~ 1909

The Story of the Little Merman

"It's very sharp," he said. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," answered the Little Merman,
and he shut his eyes.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Story of the Little Merman ~ 1909

The Story of the Little Merman

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Little Merman ~ 1909

The Story of the Little Merman

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Little Merman ~ 1909

The Story of the Queen of the Gnomes and the True Prince

She looked the ugliest of the little men 
straight in the face, and she tossed back her head 
and folded her arms, just like the pictures 
of Napoleon at St. Helena.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Little Merman ~ 1909

The Story of the Queen of the Gnomes and the True Prince

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Little Merman ~ 1909

The Story of the Queen of the Gnomes and the True Prince

Something in the Witch's face had already told him 
that she was not a nice person to ask favours of.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Little Merman ~ 1909

The Story of the Queen of the Gnomes and the True Prince

"Oh, Goblin," she cried, "where are you? 
What has happened. Is it you?"

From the captions provided at an auction site for some of the illustrations, the stories seem creatively and compellingly written. I enjoy the first and the last illustration the best, as well as the illustration of the Queen of the Gnomes with her arms folded. The second illustration is painful to contemplate. Which illustration is your favorite?



Text © 2016 Art of Narrative

Alice Helena Watson ~ The Golden Weathercock ~ 1934

Alice Helena Watson (A. H. Watson) (1896-1984)

Book Cover with Inset Illustration

Alice Watson ~ The Golden Weathercock ~ 1934

These lovely illustrations, four color plates by Alice Helena Watson, known as A. H. Watson, were published in 1934 by Blackie and Son, Ltd. (London and Glasgow) for The Golden Weathercock by Julia Goddard, retold by Dorothy King, for the Stories Old and New series. The inset cover illustration is repeated in the volume.

I couldn't find much information about Alice Watson other than the article linked at the heading to her name, with a brief biography about her life and art. The illustrations make me want to read the stories. The last illustration reminds me of a sort of Pandora, without any ominous connotation. The young woman and the fairy both appear benign and charming.

Frontispiece

Alice Watson ~ The Golden Weathercock ~ 1934

"See what comes of speaking pleasant words,"
said the South Wind.

Alice Watson ~ The Golden Weathercock ~ 1934

The Dragon is Ready to Fight

Alice Watson ~ The Golden Weathercock ~ 1934

A Minuet

Alice Watson ~ The Golden Weathercock ~ 1934

"Now you look as people ought to look."

Text © 2016 Art of Narrative

Clara Elsene Peck ~ The Adventures of Melissa ~ 1908

These beautiful illustrations appeared 

in the November 28, 1908 Collier's Weekly monthly fiction issue.

I've worked with the images, and their value added content is copyrighted. 

They may be copied for educational purposes only, 

with a source link to this article at Art of Narrative.

Clara Elsene Peck

Heading
The Adventures of Melissa ~ 1908
A Short Story by Rudyard Kipling

Clover to an over-tired bee 

is as soothing as plain knitting...

Published in Collier's Weekly

Clara Elsene Peck

The Adventures of Melissa ~ 1908
A Short Story by Rudyard Kipling

Clover to an over-tired bee 
is as soothing as plain knitting...

Published in Collier's Weekly

Clara Elsene Peck

The Adventures of Melissa ~ 1908
A Short Story by Rudyard Kipling

These things are written 
in the Book of Queens,
which is laid up in the hollow of 
the Great Ash- Ydrasil

Published in Collier's Weekly

Clara Elsene Peck

Decoration

The Adventures of Melissa ~ 1908

A Short Story by Rudyard Kipling

Published in Collier's Weekly

Clara Elsene Peck

The Adventures of Melissa ~ 1908
A Short Story by Rudyard Kipling

The Day of the Light and the Smoke
and the Voice Behind the Veil

Published in Collier's Weekly

These illustrations may not be a perfect match to the reactionary, allegorical nature of Kipling's story, written as a response to his fear of socialism, noted at the time of its publication, but they are exciting in their composition and line, reminiscent of the accomplished work of Arthur Rackham.

You may think I see parallels to Arthur Rackham in every artist, but it is because I am drawn to detailed illustration, especially with wonderful surprise and energy, and convincing characterization. I love the little fairy faces (well, bees, but they look like fairies and gnomes to me). You may notice in the second illustration that a Rackham-like face appears, in fact two of them, peering over the open notebook.

You can learn more about Clare Elsene Peck (1883-1968) here and here. You can see more of her illustrations from 1905 and 1907 here. I love her work and though I had seen a bit of it before, including her typography, after recent research I have a greater appreciation, especially after by pure chance discovering the illustrations presented here which are not widely known.

Kipling's story and Peck's raw images from the November 28, 1908 issue of Collier's are in the public domain. The first page of the short story, The Adventures of Melissa, is copied below from the Internet Archive. Click into the link if you'd like to see more.

Enjoy!


Text and Value Added Images © 2015 Art of Narrative

Margaret Rice Oxley ~ Artist & Illustrator ~ 20th Century

Margaret Rice Oxley

Margaret Rice Oxley

The Children Dream of Seafaring

Margaret Rice Oxley often signed her art and illustrations as M Rice Oxley. Little is known about her, even by the auction houses that have listed and sold her work. Other than auction listings, I can find no reference to her as an illustrator in the Library of Congress extensive catalog of books, on the Internet Archive, or in general searches on the internet.

I found one sentence of biographical information from an auction house called Dominic Winter: "The fine watercolourist Margaret Rice Oxley is little known, although we understand that she lived at Lyth Hill, near Shrewsbury, and that she was probably born in the second decade of the 20th century."

Margaret Rice Oxley worked in watercolor and pen and ink. From the type of work represented by the auction houses, she may have illustrated for books or magazines, but I can find no records to this effect. Is it possible she was a highly accomplished hobbyist who remained unpublished?

I'm sharing at Art of Narrative most of the handful of images I've found at their highest resolution, slightly enhanced for color and clarity. I've seen the same watercolor paintings and pen and ink illustrations in different sizes, tones and colors, depending on which auction house or secondary site posted the images, so I do not know how accurate the colors and contrast may be, but I think you will agree that she is an artist deserving discovery and wide recognition.

Click into each image to see the highest resolution.

Margaret Rice Oxley

Apotheosis of Columbine

Margaret Rice Oxley

The Dandelion Fairy

Margaret Rice Oxley

The Garden of Dreams

Margaret Rice Oxley

The Winds Fly Fast to Their Home

Margaret Rice Oxley

The End of the Story

Margaret Rice Oxley

Moonlit Scene

Margaret Rice Oxley

The Shepherdess

Margaret Rice Oxley

Poem: The Dream Shop

Margaret Rice Oxley

Poem: The Garden of Dreams

Margaret Rice Oxley

When You Do Dance
I Wish You A Wave O' The Sea

~ Quote from Shakespeare

If anyone reading this tribute knows more about Margaret Rice Oxley, please add your knowledge in the comments. (Both an author of a medical text, and the mother of a well known singer share her name, but she is neither of these women.)




Text & Value Added Images © 2014 Art of Narrative

Anne Anderson ~ Stories from Chaucer ~ 1913

Anne Anderson
Cover Illustration for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

Anne Anderson
Title Page for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

Anne Anderson
Frontispiece for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

In attendance on the Knight was his son.

Anne Anderson
Illustration for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

Emily could be seen below.

Anne Anderson
Illustration for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

At once the fight began.

Anne Anderson
Illustration for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

The Man of Law was a discreet person.

Anne Anderson
Illustration for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

The bride entered the city.

Anne Anderson
Illustration for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

Once more she was adrift.

Anne Anderson
Illustration for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

Griselda was entirely reclothed.

Anne Anderson
Illustration for Stories from Chaucer
Retold by Emily Underdown
London ~ Thomas Nelson and Sons ~ 1913

"What think you of my new wife's beauty?"

In another early volume of Anne Anderson's illustrations, the viewer is once more transported, this time into the world of three of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales as retold by Emily Underdown, who also wrote under the name Chester Norley.

Please see my companion post, Aucassin and Nicolete, for another of Anne Anderson's early published work, where you will also find a brief biography and additional links.

To see the illustrations in their original context and to read the stories, click HERE.

Text © 2014 Art of Narrative

Anne Anderson ~ Aucassin and Nicolete ~ 1911

Anne Anderson (1878-1930)

Anne Anderson's illustrations for Aucassin and Nicolete, translated by Harold Child. were published in 1911. Based on my research, they appear to be her first published illustrations.

An excerpt from a brief biography, written by Chris Beetles Gallery, is published here under Fair Use:

"Through her use of line and watercolour, Anne Anderson produced a bright, yet delicate nursery world, which proved particularly popular during the 1920s...

Anne Anderson was the daughter of James Anderson, a junior director of Henry Balfour & Co, an engineering firm based at Leven in Fife, Scotland. Born in Walworth, London, while her father was on business, she spent her early years in Scoonie, near Leven, and attended the local school. When her father travelled to Argentina to work on an engineering contract for its government, the family, including Anne, went too. There she made a close friend in Olive Hockin, the daughter of another expatriate.

On returning to Britain, Anderson lived for a while with Hockin’s friend, Guinevere Donnithorne, at Palace Gardens, in London. All three friends studied at the Slade School of Fine Art. Though first influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites and Hockin’s interpretation of them, Anderson soon looked to such contemporaries as Jessie M King and Mabel Lucie Attwell as she decided to become an illustrator. 

At the outset of her career, she settled at Little Audrey, the gatehouse to Audrey, the home of Hockin’s family, at Burghfield Common, in rural Berkshire. While illustrating books for Henry Froude and Hodder & Stoughton, Anderson met Alan Wright, a fellow illustrator who would become her husband. 

Anderson and Wright married in June 1912, and then lived together at Little Audrey, where they embarked on a working partnership... In addition to illustrating more than a hundred books, Anderson produced postcard images and designed nursery china tea sets. She also exhibited paintings and etchings at the Royal Society of British Artists."



I love Anne Anderson's work for fairy tales and traditional tales. Her watercolor world is dreamlike and yet anchored in reality, with expressive figures, backgrounds and scenery. Her women are fluid in their movements, and yet they are tethered by gravity and circumstance. They yearn and they love and they act.

A large selection of Anne Anderson's illustrations can be found at a wonderful resource: Art Passions.

View the illustrations for Aucassin and Nicollete in their original context, and read the story, on the Internet Archive.

Click into the images at Art of Narrative for large resolution.

Please add your comments below!

Anne Anderson ~ Aucassin and Nicolete ~ 1911

Translated and Edited by Harold Child

Published London: Adam and Charles Black

'To the chamber then went they,
There where Nicholete did stay,
When her true love she did see,
Never one so glad as she.'

Anne Anderson ~ Aucassin and Nicolete ~ 1911

Translated and Edited by Harold Child

Published London: Adam and Charles Black

'On the window marble-dight
Leaned the little lonely wight.

She had hair all golden-bright,

Brows as fine as fine could be.

Clear her face and oval-wise.

Never fairer met your eyes!'

Anne Anderson ~ Aucassin and Nicolete ~ 1911

Translated and Edited by Harold Child

Published London: Adam and Charles Black

'Took her gown in one hand before and the
other hand behind, and tucked up her skirt because
of the dew which she saw was heavy on the grass,
and escaped down the garden.'

Anne Anderson ~ Aucassin and Nicolete ~ 1911

Translated and Edited by Harold Child

Published London: Adam and Charles Black

"Fair children," said she, "do you know

Aucassin the son of  the Count Garrin of Biaucaire?"

Anne Anderson ~ Aucassin and Nicolete ~ 1911

Translated and Edited by Harold Child

Published London: Adam and Charles Black

'Aucassins was in the castle of Torelore greatly

at his ease and pleasure, for he had with him

Nicolete, his sweet love whom he loved so dear...

there came a fleet of Saracens by sea and attacked

the castle and took it by storm.'

Text © 2014 Art of Narrative

Wishing You Beauty and Joy in the New Year

Annie French (1872-1965) ~ Friendship Blossoms Best Beside the Wishing Well

pen, ink & watercolor

I've been rather quiet here lately. Please join me for art and conversation on my Facebook Page, as I prepare many new posts for Art of Narrative on blogger for the coming New Year. Wishing you beauty and joy...


Text © 2014 Art of Narrative

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

Frontispiece `~ The Princess Who Despised All Men

Upon the back of his noble steed the Prince
gallantly lifted his beautiful charge.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

Title Page

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

How Sampo Lappelill Saw the Mountain-King

"That, O King, is a lie as big as yourself!" exclaimed Sampo.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

The Three Valleys

The eagle swooped down with a wild cry.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

Ringfalla Bridge

And then little Kirsten came smiling out of the water.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

Lillekort

Lillekort with his magic sword cut off the fifteen heads
at one blow.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

The Strawberry Thief

But Fried held him fast.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

Little Blue Flower

Now he could reach up and touch Swanhild's hands.

Frank Cheyne Papé ~ The Diamond Fairy Book ~ c1911

The Prince and the Lions

With steady gaze he advanced, spear in hand.

Frank Cheyne Pape (1878-1972) is well known for his work in pen and ink, and his color illustrations are considered to be superb. Click HERE to see the illustrations in their context and to read the stories in The Diamond Fairy Book, published in London by Hutchinson & Co., Paternoster Row. The book itself does not include a copyright date, and I've seen it described as 1897, 191?, and 1911. 1911 seems most likely.

All of the fairy tales included in The Diamond Fairy Book are well written and little known, consisting of translations from the Swedish, French, German, and Persian, as well as stories I presume are from the British Isles.

My favorite illustrations are from The Princess Who Despised All Men, Ringfalla Bridge, and Little Blue Flower, but all of them are dynamic. I worked with the images from their original source to bring out the color and clarity.

Click on each illustration for great detail!



Text © 2013 Art of Narrative