Thursday, November 1, 2012

Artist feature: Walter Crane

The Frog Prince
 
Walter Crane (1845-1915) was an English illustrator of fairy tales who is known for creating picture books known as "toy books." Each book had eight pages, completely full of color and text, with detailed backgrounds that draw the eye to the page and keep them lingering, soaking up all there is to see.
 
Beauty and the Beast
 
According to Walter Crane himself, "Children, like the ancient Egyptians, appear to see most things in profile, and like definite statements in design. They prefer well-defined forms and bright, frank color. They don't want to bother about three dimensions."
 
At sixpence each, Crane's toy books were made affordable and "children's books began to take on the character of an industry." According to Maria Tatar, "His work, which legitimized a turn to children's fare for serious artists, marked a real milestone in the aesthetic quality of children's books."

Little Red Riding Hood

The Sleeping Beauty

Bluebeard

Jack and the Beanstalk

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