Arthur Rackham: Rip Van Winkle

Illustration from "Rip Van Winkle"
by Arthur Rackham

"Arthur Rackham had exhibited successfully at the Royal Academy, at the Institute of Painters in Water-Colours, at a ‘Loan Exhibition of Modern Illustration’ at South Kensington (1901), and at various provincial exhibitions before he was elected an Associate of The Royal Water-Colour Society in February 1902 (he became a full member in ​1908). He received considerable encouragement to pursue his individual style of decorative illustration from the Friday evening meetings of the Langham Sketching Club, of which he was chairman for two consecutive years, 1905–6 and 1906–7, a sure proof of his popularity with his fellow artists, for the chairman was elected primarily to preside at the supper table. His ‘Windfalls’, now in the Melbourne National Gallery, and ‘Cupid’s Alley’, now in the Tate Gallery, were both painted in 1904; ‘The Magic Carpet’ was bought for the Bradford Gallery in 1907 and ‘Treasures of the Deep’ for the Preston Gallery in 1909. But the first work that greatly advanced his fame in the years immediately following his marriage was his edition of 'Rip Van Winkle, with its fifty-one colour plates, published in 1905.

This lovely book decisively established Rackham as the leading decorative illustrator of the Edwardian period. One does not know which to admire most – the superb artistry of his landscapes, the poetry of the scenes of Rip by the riverside, the charm of his children and fairies, or the grotesque groups of Henrick Hudson and his crew. With Rip Van Winkle he began his fruitful association with the firm of William Heinemann, who issued the book in a limited edition and a trade edition, while American, French, German and other foreign editions were also called for, setting a pattern of publication to be followed for many years. Another profitable precedent was established by the exhibition of the originals at the Leicester Galleries in March 1905. All except eight of the pictures were sold, and the deluxe edition of the book was fully subscribed before the exhibition closed. Henceforth Rackham’s book illustrations were regularly exhibited at the Leicester Galleries at the time of their publication, and they found ready buyers.

E.V. Lucas, a popular English writer, was one of those who wrote to him at this time:

‘Dear Mr. Rackham, ‘I have at last been able to get to your exhibition; which I enjoyed immensely. Hitherto one has had to go to the Continent for so much mingled grace & grotesque as you have given us. The drawings seem to me extraordinarily successful & charming. The only thing I quarrel with is the prevalence of 'sold' tickets – one on every picture that I liked best. [James] Barrie tells me he has the same grievance. I am glad to hear that you think of treating Peter Pan in the same vein. Believe me yours sincerely, E.V. Lucas'"

To be continued

 

(Excerpts from "Arthur Rackham: His Life and Work by Derek Hudson.")