Walter Crane was the first of the grand triumvirate in children’s book illustration who worked under the tutelage of the English printer Edmund Evans. Crane, the son of an artist, developed his artistic talents from an early age and at seventeen exhibited at London’s Royal Academy.
Over the course of his career Crane set himself many artistic challenges by choosing to illustrate a variety of texts, from alphabet books and brief rhymes to fully developed fairy tales, and he strove in all of these works to bring coherence to the overall appearance of the individual book. In addition to his books for children he created illustrated books for adults and several textbooks about book design and illustration.
When Walter Crane died in 1915 he had become internationally known and admired, and his contributions to children’s book illustration can still be seen in children’s books of the late twentieth century.
A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys (1851) is a children’s book by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne in which he retells several Greek myths. It was followed by a sequel, Tanglewood Tales.
Presenting the First edition of Wonderbook for Girls & Boys with illustrations by Walter Crane. Published by Osgood, McIlvaine & Co., London, 1892.
Other books illustrated by Walter Crane available in our gallery: Wonderbook for Boys and Girls, Flora Feast: A Masque of Flowers, Queen Summer.
Art Gallery: Walter Crane – Wonderbook for Girls & Boys 1892
