Arthur Rackham: Illustrating Dreams

When I close my eyes and think of fairytales, it's Arthur Rackham's world that I envision. On one of the leading figures of the British Golden Age of book illustration, and his impact today.

“Titania Lying Asleep” for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Arthur Rackham ca. 1908. Via Sotheby’s.

A fairy sleeps in a midsummer wood.

Her head rests on the twisting roots of ancient trees. Star magnolias, dogwoods, and wild daisies bloom around her. Her crown lies on the earth beside her hair—close enough to touch, far enough that a roguish sprite could snatch it away. The woods are lush with summer’s green, but their hues are tempered by the darkness. It’s a scene of elfin magic, as beautiful as it is foreboding.

For young readers (and older readers, too), the illustrations that accompany a book can be just as exciting as the story itself. In the domain of fairytales, few illustrators have had quite the impact of Arthur Rackham.

Arthur Rackham was born in London in 1867 to a middle-class family; his father was a legal officer for the British government. The young Arthur was one of twelve children, and knowing this, I can’t help but see the potential influence this had on his later works—es…