Howard Pyle -Illustrations for Otto of the Silver Hand 1888

Howard Pyle was one of the great early American illustrator. In 1900, he founded his own school of art and illustration called the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art, also know as the “Brandywine School” of illustration. Many of his students are among the greatest American illustrators, including N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Frank Schoonover.

During his lifetime, Howard Pyle illustrated many books, mainly for children. Otto of the Silver Hand is a children’s novel about the Middle Ages written and illustrated by Howard Pyle. It was first published in 1888 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. The novel was one of the first written for young readers that went beyond the chivalric ideals of the time period, and showed how cruel the time period could really be. The novel is set in 13th-century Germany, partly during the Great Interregnum and partly during the reign of Rudolph of Habsburg.

His 1883 classic The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood remains in print to this day, and his other books, frequently with medieval European settings, include a four-volume set on King Arthur that cemented his reputation. Enjoy.

Art Gallery: Howard Pyle -Otto of the Silver Hand 1888