books to enchant

when i worked at powell's bookshop for a year in portland, i discovered some beautiful children's books. one day i will show you some of the contemporary illustrators i adore, but today i want to show you a few of my favourite illustrators from the first quarter of the 20th century. the first, and perhaps the finest, is kay nielsen (1886-1957). his wonderful illustrations mix rich, sumptuous details with minimalist, zen-like compositions. these images are from the twelve dancing princesses...








another inspiration is edmund dulac (1882-1953). his illustrations are a little warmer, less rigid than nielsen's, and his use of colour was gorgeous. these images are from the nightingale and the little mermaid...






and last but not least is arthur rackham (1867-1939). his palette is somewhat more sombre than the other two artists, but his imagery is very dreamlike. he also did some very fine pen and ink drawing. these images are from the elder-tree mother and alice in wonderland...





to see more images from these marvellous artists check out the children's book illustrators gallery