Jessie M. King – Illustrations for The High History of the Holy Graal 1903

Jessie Marion King (March 20, 1875 – August 3, 1949) was a Scottish illustrator mostly of children’s books. She also designed jewellery and fabric, and painted pottery. King was one of the artists known as the Glasgow Girls.

Jessie M. King was made Tutor in Book Decoration and Design at Glasgow School of Art in 1899. Her first published designs, and some people believe her finest, were for the covers of books published by Globus Verlag, Berlin between 1899 and 1902.

Jessie M. King was influenced by the Art Nouveau of the period, and her works correspond in mood with those of The Glasgow Four. Despite the influence of Art Nouveau, she was inspired to create unique designs where she did not literally translate the real world. “I would not copy designs,” she said, “but insisted on drawing out of my head.” During her early period, she created detailed pen and ink illustrations on vellum.

The High History of the Holy Graal is perhaps Jessie Marion King’s most beautiful illustrated book among the dozen of books she had illustrated. She did the illustrations of many books, covers for books and magazines. Her best, in my opinion is no doubt the Seven Happy Days, a Christmas Special for the Studio Magazine in 1913. Here they are again, all new and better scans to replace the ones I did two years ago.

Other Jessie M. King illustrated works available in our gallery: The Defence of Guenevere, A House of Pomegranates, The Mummy’s Bedtime Story Book, Seven Happy Days, Poems of Spenser, Habitation Forcee.

Art Gallery: Jessie M. King – The High History of the Holy Graal 1903