Archive for the ‘fantasy art’ Category

Friday, May 12th, 2023

Illustration: Kay Nielsen’s 12 Dancing Princesses and Hansel and Gretel

animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel

animationresources.org Nielsen was a Danish illustrator who is best known today for his concept work at Disney on Fantasia. Nielsen’s pastels of Chernabog from the “Night on Bald Mountain” sequence set the mood and gave animator Bill Tytla a big boost. But among illustrators, Nielsen is best known for his illustrations for his masterful work on East of the Sun and West of the Moon. His style was ornate and decorative, blending elements of Aubrey Beardsley and John Bauer with Persian illuminated manuscripts and Oriental motifs.

Here is some of Nielsen’s earliest work, his illustrations for Twelve Dancing Princesses…
kay

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

animationresources.org Nielsen Twelve Dancing Princesses

And here is a sampling of animationresources.org Nielsen’s later style- the illustrations for Hansel and Gretel and Stories from the Brothers Grimm…

animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel
animationresources.org Nielsen Hansel and Gretel

Visit our Kay Nielsen Gallery at Imagekind to order fine art prints of beautiful illustrations from “East of the Sun West of the Moon”. The prints are made from high resolution scans off a pristine first edition from the collection of Animation Resources. You can order individual prints, or a huge sheet with all 25 images from this landmark illustrated children’s book. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these prints goes to support Animation Resources.

Stephen Worth
Director
Animation Resources

IllustrationIllustration

This posting is part of a series of articles comprising an online exhibit spotlighting Illustration.

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Thursday, March 16th, 2023

Illustration: N. C. Wyeth’s Legends of Charlemagne

N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne

 N C Wyeth N C WyethToday, we digitized a beautiful first edition of Bulfinch’s "Legends of Charlemagne" illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. No illustrator of the golden age had a wider influence on the world of art than Wyeth. His son, Andrew Wyeth became a reknowned fine artist, and many of his other children and grandchildren became artists and musicians as well.

Wyeth studied under illustrator Howard Pyle, and quickly made a name for himself. His first published art was a cover for the Saturday Evening Post, a plum job right off the bat. In his early days, he was known as a Western artist. He travelled West to soak up the landscape. The trip resulted in a portfolio of images of Indians that vividly capture the light and spirit of the Old West.

Wyeth is best known for his book illustrations though. In 1911, he painted 16 color plates for Scribner’s edition of Stevenson’s "Treasure Island". It remains the classic version of the book. Wyeth was incredibly prolific over the next decade or so, "Treasure Island" was followed by "Kidnapped", "The Black Arrow", "The Boy’s King Arthur" and many more. The book we are presenting today was published in 1924 by David McKay. It displays Wyeth at the top of his form. Even the endpapers are beautiful!

N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne
N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne
N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne
N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne
N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne
N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne
N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne
N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne
N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne
N C Wyeth Legends of Charlemagne

N. C. Wyeth Biography at the Brandywine River Museum

 N C Wyeth BookGreat news! A new book on N. C. Wyeth is being released… Legendary Art of N.C. Wyeth by J. David Spurlock. It’s been quite a while since a good collection of this fabulous artist has been in print. Pick up a copy at Amazon.

Stephen Worth
Director
Animation Resources

IllustrationIllustration

This posting is part of a series of articles comprising an online exhibit spotlighting Illustration.

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Tuesday, April 12th, 2022

Illustration: John Bauer’s Bland Tomtar Och Troll

John Bauer

Like many of the artists we feature here on this blog, John Bauer is a name that not many people know. His career was relatively short, but his influence was far reaching.

John BauerJohn BauerBorn in 1882 in Sweden, Bauer studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. In 1904, he illustrated his first book, Lappland, but in 1907 he began work on a series of Christmas annuals that would make him famous. Bland Tomtar Och Troll (Among Gnomes and Trolls) is a Swedish tradition, beginning in 1907 and continuing to this very day. I’m afraid I don’t speak Swedish, so I can’t speak for the folk tales Bauer is illustrating, but the illustrations are stunning.

Bauer had a way with trolls… they are grotesque, yet appealing. The simple, yet elegant compositions conveyed the essence of the image clearly with a sense of humor that both children and adults could understand. His style influenced generations of artists from Gustaf Tenggren (who took over the Bland Tomtar Och Troll series after Bauer’s death in a shipwreck in 1918), Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac and Kay Nielsen to Brian Froud and Jim Henson (The Dark Crystal). This particular edition of Bland Tomtar Och Troll is from 1915, but the images are timeless.

John Bauer
John Bauer
John Bauer
John Bauer
John Bauer
John Bauer
John Bauer
John Bauer
John Bauer
John Bauer
John Bauer

MORE BY JOHN BAUER
Einar Norelius
Einar Norelius
Einar Norelius
Einar Norelius
Einar Norelius
Einar Norelius
Einar Norelius

Very little information on Bauer exists outside of his native country of Sweden. There is a museum dedicated to his work in the city where he was born. If you have any information on this great artist, please let us know about it in the comments below.

Stephen Worth
Director
Animation Resources

IllustrationIllustration

This posting is part of a series of articles comprising an online exhibit spotlighting Illustration.

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