Mastodawn

Trollskrattet by Rut Milles (1923).

The Troll's Laughter, a 1923 gem by the Swedish artist Ruth Milles (1873–1941).
The story is a mix of ethereal beauty and playful humor. It follows Undine the mermaid and a mischievous little troll as they team up to play a prank on a prince living in a grand castle that reflects in the still waters of the lake.

Ruth Milles was a trailblazer. Though often mentioned as the sister of the famous sculptor Carl Milles, she was a brilliant artist in her own right. Originally a successful sculptor in Paris, she was eventually forced to abandon the heavy work of clay and bronze due to tuberculosis.
Refusing to let illness dim her creativity, she turned to the world of books. She began writing and illustrating, bringing her sculptor’s eye for form and character to these whimsical tales. In "Trollskrattet", you can feel her love for both the mystical Nordic nature and the joy of a good prank!

#RuthMilles #VintageBooks #Fairytaleart #Fairytaleillustration #SwedishArt #WomenArtists #Mermaid #Troll #1920s #ArtHistory #NordicFolklore #ChildrensLiterature

Fairy tale illustrations Apr 30

The Princess of Hearts by Sheila Braine.
(Blackie & Son Ltd. 1899).

Alice B. Woodward’s illustrations are both whimsical and delicate, capturing a story that is surprisingly dark for a Victorian children's tale.
The plot follows Prince Jack of Hearts, who is tricked by a wizard into trading his real heart for one made of cold marble. Without his his own ”will” or feelings, he’s unable to lead, leaving Princess Joan to brave a journey to win his heart back before the kingdom falls to war.
There is something special about holding a book that has survived over 120 years. The combination of Braine’s storytelling and Woodward’s Art Nouveau illustrations makes this a special gem in my collection.

#Fairytale #Fairytaleart #Fairytaleillustration #Childrensbooks #Bookhistory #Antiquebooks #BookCollection #Victorianbooks #AliceBWoodward #Bibliophile #Antiquarian #PrincessOfHearts

Fairy tale illustrations Apr 26

Ex Libris: A Latin mark meaning "From the books of..."

In antiquarian fairy tales, these plates add a personal layer of history. They bridge the gap between the fantastic worlds inside the pages and the real people who once held and cherished them.

Here is a glimpse into some provenance of my collection.

#Bibliophile #Antiquarian #ExLibris #BookHistory #FairyTaleCollector #BookIllustration #FairyTaleArt
#Bookplate #OldBooks #FairyTales #PixelFedBooks #RareBooks

Fairy tale illustrations Apr 15

The Blue Bird by Maurice Maeterlinck

L'Oiseau bleu, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. Illustrations by F. Cayley Robinson. Methuen & Co. Ltd. Edition de Luxe 1911.

The play premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre in 1908, directed by the Konstantin Stanislavski, and was presented on Broadway in 1910. Maeterlinck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911.

Tyltyl and Mytyl, two poor children, are visited by a fairy. She gives them a mission to seek out the Blue Bird of Happiness. To aid them, they receive a hat with a diamond that allows them to see the true souls of all things. The the stones in the house walls become gemstones: ”All stones are valuable, if one only sees it”.
Their dog and cat can speak and are happy to be understood by the children. The water takes on a shimmering form, the fire sweeps around. The bread comes to life and the numbers dance out of the clock. Light is a beautiful being, appointed to be the children’s guide in their quest.

First, they search in the Garden of Memory, where they meet their deceased grandparents and the siblings lost in infancy.

They continue to the Palace of Night, with its dark halls of sickness, war, terror, and horrors.

Then they come to the Forest and meet the trees, who express grief over humankind evil.

Next they discover the Garden of Temporary Luxuries, where they also finds the Cave of Misery.

In the Kingdom of the Future, they meet Father Time and all the unborn children occupied developing their special talents.

But the Blue Bird continues to elude them. The children are tired and long for their parents. So they return home, accepting that they have failed to complete their quest.

But then they discover that their own grey dove - has turned blue 💙.

#fairytaleart #fairytaleillustration #antiquarian #fairyplay #nobelprize #victorianbooks #mauricemaeterlinck #fcaleyrobinson #thebluebird #loiseaubleu
#vintagebooks #PixelfedBooks #bookcollecting

Fairy tale illustrations Apr 12

The Dreamer of Dreams by the Queen of Roumania, illustrated by Edmund Dulac. First edition, Hodder & Stoughton 1916.
An enchanting volume, luminous from the very cover. The illustrations are as evocative as the story itself.
It is a tale of a court painter who paints for the King. In the portrait he is creating, only the Queen’s eyes are missing. In a dream, he beholds a woman’s face with eyes he can never forget. Frustrated, he is haunted by the knowledge that he cannot paint those eyes unless he sees them in reality.
He sets out on a dreamlike quest to seek her out.
#TheDreamerOfDreams #EdmundDulac #VintageBooks #Fairytales #Fairytaleart #Fairytaleillustration #GoldenAgeOfIllustration #BookHistory #Antiquarian

Fairy tale illustrations Apr 12

Illustrated caps from Samlade Sagor by Richard Gustafsson 1882. Illustrated by C. Larsson and Victor Andrén. Drop caps increased usability by highliting themes and guiding readers into the text.

#Fairytales #fairytaleart #fairytaleillustration #dropcaps #illustratedinitials #childrensbooks #antiquarian

Fairy tale illustrations Apr 11

Where art meets alphabet. ✍️✨ Getting lost in the details of these drop caps. There’s a timeless beauty in taking the very first letter of a story and turning it into a garden of ink and imagination.
Starting a new chapter never looked so good.

#Illustration #FairyTaleArt #AntiqueBooks #TypographyInspired #LetteringArt #illuminatedInitial #DropCap, #Initial #fairytales