The Art & Illustration of Walter Crane

Walter Crane, Jeff A. Menges

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9780486135830
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Artist Monographs

A prominent figure in the Victorian art world, Walter Crane not only participated in the late nineteenth century's publishing revolution but also led the way toward the Golden Age of Illustration. Crane was instrumental in the transition from simple black-and-white illustrations for children's books to gallery-quality artwork. This original collection features more than one hundred of the influential artist's brilliant images. It constitutes a survey of his paintings as well as a visual history of the development of the first color illustrations.
Few artists of Crane's generation achieved careers as varied and successful as his. This compilation reflects the diversity of his subjects, from images for alphabet books, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales to scenes from stories of King Arthur and Robin Hood to illustrations inspired by the classics of Shakespeare, Hawthorne, and Spenser. Editor Jeff A. Menges provides an Introduction that places the artist and his works in historic context.

THE GOLDEN PRIMER AND BEYOND

Walter Crane’s work in his mature period was of a much broader nature. Having left toybooks behind, his recognition in the field brought him work from a number of areas. He continued his involvement in the nursery-book market; notably, his collaboration with Professor J. M. D. Meiklejohn on The Golden Primer. The project was a great success, and the book was widely used for many years (Edmund Evans did the engraving and printing). Crane was also looking beyond the nursery book for fresh ideas. New circles of friends gave him the opportunities to work with more compelling material—illustrations for works by Oscar Wilde; decorations and designs in collaboration with William Morris; and his own fanciful stories and costume designs. Outside the realm of publishing, Crane’s association with Morris led him to develop strong feelings about the place of design in society, as well as socialism—both topics that he would be very vocal about in the latter part of his life.

Title Page

The Golden Primer, 1885

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Alphabet grid

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The Golden Primer, 1885

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The Golden Primer, 1885

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Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• INTRODUCTION
• Table of Contents
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• THE PLATES
• ADVENTURE IN THE NURSERY
• THE GOLDEN PRIMER AND BEYOND
• THE LATER YEARS
• GALLERY PAINTING AND DESIGN