Arthur Rackham Wall Art

Arthur Rackham (September 19, 1867 - September 6, 1939) was a renowned England-born book illustrator who mainly illustrated children's literature and classic fiction books. In 1884, he registered for part time art classes at the Lambeth School of Art, studying at the school for a period of 7 years. During the time, Rackham was also doubling up with a full time job at an insurance company. He later worked with a local newspaper called "Westminster Budget" from 1892 to 1896, the period within which he started illustrating books. His creativity and continuous involvement in art making helped him sharpen his skills in the use of halftone process, leading to improved quality art that showed high level creativity. Rackham rode to fame through illustrations that he created for the 1900 edition of the then famous Grimm brothers' Fairy Tales. He illustrated several other publications, including Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle, which was published in 1905, a piece that gave him a name in America too. Rackham would later rise to become a fully sanctioned member of the high profile Royal Society of Painters in Watercolors. Rackham was inspired mainly by two 16th century German artists, namely, Albrecht Altdorfer and Albrecht Dürer. He developed a detailed artistic style that was also known for its angularity. Having mastered illustration and an ability to create communicative pieces, his works always fittingly complemented the stories in the books he illustrated. It's because of his creativity and skills that he managed to illustrate above 60 books, including some creative pieces of writers such as William Shakespeare, Izaak Walton, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, and John Milton.