In Fairyland, a Series of Pictures from the Elf-World by Richard Doyle
What can be a better post if not a classic, yet mostly unknown book with huge historical influence? Who could be a better artist to present as first if not a tremendously talented artist who, without any academic training never fully developed his potential? Yes, I am writing about Fairyland, probably the most typical project by Richard 'Dicky' Doyle and printed by legendary Edmund Evans, one of the godfathers of picture books as they are known today. Doyle and Evans are not the most known names from the so-called golden years, but both influenced hundreds of artists and set standards which stood the test of time being applied even a century after their death.
Who was Richard Doyle?
Richard was born to John Doyle, an established Irish cartoonist, as one of seven kids. All his three surviving brothers were talented artists - illustrators as well. We should probably mention at least Charles, born in 1842, more known as the father of one of the most popular writers of all times: Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes.
Humor was always a major attribute of Richard Doyle and his pen name Dick Kitcat or his signature of a small bird (dickie) standing on RD (his initials). Becoming a member of The Punch, a major satirical newspaper in the world at only 19 years he soon gain a reputation and stayed there for seven years until after a series of attacks against the Roman Catholic Church to which he was a devoted member he left the paper and never worked for any newspaper or magazine for the rest of his life.
His cover, initially made for the sixth issue of Punch, still became one of the signature marks of the magazine and was used for more than one hundred years!
Richard Doyle decided to devote his time to book illustration and watercolor paintings. His major works are:
* The Enchanted Doll by Mark Lemon (1849)
* The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin (1851)
* The Foreign Tour of Brown, Jones and Robinson by him (1854)
* The Newcomes by William Makepeace Thackeray (1855)
In Fairyland, illustrated and designed by Doyle with a poem by William Allingham, published in 1870. In Fairyland, although a commercial flop (simply too expensive for the market), with two thousand printed copies and only a few sold, is now considered his masterpiece. It consists of 16 color plates presented here:
I.
A rehearsal in Fairy-Land
II.
The Fairy Prince in love
III.
Flirting
Climbing
Stealing
Reposing
IV.
Triumphal march of the elf-king
V.
Cruel elves
A dancing butterfly
The elf-king asleep
The tournament
VI.
A race of snails
VII.
The fairy queen's messenger
Saying "Bo!" to a beetle
Elf and owls
Teasing a butterfly
VIII.
A little play, in three acts
IX.
Dressing the baby-elves
A messenger by moonlight
Rejected!
X.
Water-lilies and water fairies
XI.
An evening ride
A serenade
Fairy child's play
XII.
An intruder
Flying away
Wood elves at play
XIII.
The fairy queen takes an airy drive
XIV.
An elfin dance by night
XV.
Feasting and fun among the fuchsias
Poor little birdie teased
Courtship cut short
XVI.
Asleep in the moonlight
All plates are engraved by Edmund Evans and the book was published by Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer in 1870. While the story is written by William Allingham, the major contribution to the world of art is definitely creations by Richard 'Dixky' Doyle.