An Arthur Rackham Original Print???

It's been a couple days since a post...yea, I'm a very busy body...been practicing how to paint digitally once I'm satisfied with it I'll post it up, but so far so good for a first timer!

I discovered a new favorite artist! Well it's new for me, you might know him already. His name is Arthur Rackham, an English Book Illustrator. And after a few hours of scouring the internet for his illustrations, I admit I'm hooked onto his art work.

I read a blog someone posted and realized I had recently bought a print that had the exact same style. Well after looking him up on the internet I found that I own an Arthur Rackham print! Whoa! I bought it while I was traveling around Europe this past fall. I happen to stumble across an Antique Print Shop in London. Don't ask me where, the streets are crazy there! I just came across the shop by accident, and happy one at that. Browse around and fell in love with this children's illustration litho of Queen Mab from Peter Pan. I knew I wanted something very "English", so I thought what could be more English then Peter Pan?

My Pretty Print!

Here's some other illustrations by him...


The question for me is, is this an authentic original 1908 print? Who can tell these days...I would like to think so. The store that I bought it from look reputable enough. I asked where they get their prints, they replied from auctions and old books editions. Eh...I wasn't really hunting for any sort of artist. This piece just speaks to me. I love the art nouveau feel and well I just wanted a piece of England...


Oh and here's an update on my sketchy sketch. I went back to the MET for some down time. Sat there for hours sketching happily, while museum goers looked over my shoulder to see what I was doing.
I find it funny how people pretend to walk casually next to you as if to walk to somewhere important and then sneak a glance when they think you don't know. I had a lot of that, some of the bolder ones complimented me, which made me happy to know that I'm on the right track...

Hope to finish this soon....long way to go tho, still in it's rough stages.



Ok enough of my blathering. I was just very excited today...

6 comments:

  LiPeony

January 24, 2009 at 1:49 AM

very nice sketch.... I'm too paranoid to draw or create in front of people =X
those are wonderful prints very... dreamy.

  Dawn

January 24, 2009 at 12:54 PM

I Love the sketch you're working on... beautiful. The bodies are so well formed and I love the detail on the muscles. I'm looking forward to the finished piece!

Your find in Europe is a treasure for sure. Sounds like you were meant to find it!

Best Wishes,

Dawn

  Unknown

January 27, 2009 at 10:36 PM

that's a spectacular sketch! i can't wait to see it finished!

also, re: your print - i was going to comment on the art-nouveau-ness of it all. i *lovelove* art nouveau, and that was the first thing that caught my eye.

the second thing, as you'd mentioned, was the authenticity of the print. i've been really into the antiques roadshow on weekends lately (weird, i know!) so i'd be really excited if you ever do look into it and it's worth something, you can keep me posted so that i can live vicariously through you. ;)

  Mics AKA Lunatiger

January 28, 2009 at 2:14 PM

I love antiques road show as well! ^_^ Gack! It's a guilty pleasure...

  Ellen

February 4, 2009 at 12:35 AM

Ahhh, Arthur Rackham!He is one of my favorite artists! It's nice to find a fellow Rackham fan. I've been trying to collect some of his original illustrated books. If you go to Strands you might find some vintage children's book with pretty good prints in them at a very good price.

P.S. I know what you mean about the people at the MET ^_^

About the print. I don't know how you can tell if it's authentic. One thing I can tell you though is that it is worth more if it's in its original book. But hey it's still a Rackham right?

  Anonymous

October 18, 2010 at 9:11 AM

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1655711

A visual journey through the water colours of Arthur Rackham,one of the most recognised and prolific illustrators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
With over 320 full page colour plates of some of his most well known art,
Including illustrations to Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens,Comus,The Romance of Arthur,Undine,Aesop's Fables,Snickerty Nick,Where the Blue Begins and Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods.
The first of a series of Volumes on the Art of the Age of Golden Illustrators.