Dulac

by David Larkin (Editor), Edmund Dulac (Illustrator)

First edition. A collection of Dulac's best illustrative works from books published around the world. Dulac, born in France in 1882, was known as one of the masters, and was active in every field of the graphic arts, painting portraits and making caricatures along with designing posters, medals, stamps, currency, and costumes. Includes an introduction by Brain Sanders, and 40 of his illustrations in color, with selections from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Tanglewood Tales, Stories from Hans Andersen and The Tempest. Dust jacket slight soiled. not paginated. leatherette, dust jacket.. 4to..

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

56 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a soft cover version (two actually). Dulac is probably my favorite of the great turn of the century illustrators. His use of color, I think, surpasses Arthur Rackham, and his characters don't seem quite as comical. His lines are very delicate and beautiful, and his ornamentation is pure Art Nouveau perfection. I have a sentimental attachment to these, so I won't pretend objectivity. It's wonderful to see the care that was put into children's entertainment (and the adults reading to them) in a time that was less hurried and where the emphasis was on the details of capturing the imagination.

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I am less drawn to Edmund Dulac's fairytale illustrations than I am to those of his contemporaries Arthur Rackham and Kay Nielsen, I still appreciate the artistic talent behind his work. Nielsen and Packham became well-known for their depictions of legends, myths, and stories from Western European culture, but Dulac made his mark by exploring the potential of stories from China, Japan, and the Middle East. Other artists of the era (Aubrey Beardsley, another of my favourites, for one) had capitalized on the population's growing fascination with Orientalism and the introduction of collections of stories like the Araban Nights provided Dulac with the needed canvas of inspiration. Considering that most of the "gift books" published with his illustrations were ostensibly meant for young readers (a lucretive new book market), Dulac's artwork often employs a darker range of tones than one would expect. This moody atmosphere does not always impart an overall sense of negativity, gloominess, or evil though, as Dulac uses carefully placed lighting sources and jewel-like colours to create a sense of mystery and richness. Obviously this book only collects a small portion of his artwork, but eventually I would like to see his pieces as they were meant to be seen - alongside the stories which they illustrate.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plates in this book aren't the best, but I enjoyed it anyway.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite delightful. I spent a long time poring over these paintings.