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Harry Clarke

Ken sends in this link with work by Irish illustrator Harry Clarke. Orignally a stained-glass artist, Clarke eventually looked for work as a book illustrator and soon found work illustrating Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales, the work of Edgar Allan Poe, and pictured here, Goethe’s Faust.

  • http://nessahead.com/ nessa

    I really like his work, reminds me a lot of Klimt. Thanks for the link :)

  • http://nessahead.com nessa

    I really like his work, reminds me a lot of Klimt. Thanks for the link :)

  • http://elnegromagnifico.blogspot.com/ Al aka El Negro Magnifico

    I think I see a bit of Beardsley in his illustrations. Were they contemporaries? Seems I have some research to do. :)

  • http://elnegromagnifico.blogspot.com Al aka El Negro Magnifico

    I think I see a bit of Beardsley in his illustrations. Were they contemporaries? Seems I have some research to do. :)

  • http://www.brianfray.com/ Brian

    I love this work. This and the work of Klimt and Beardsly and many others of this period had a profound impact on the art of the psychedelic 60′s. I know, I was there.

  • http://www.brianfray.com/ Brian

    I love this work. This and the work of Klimt and Beardsly and many others of this period had a profound impact on the art of the psychedelic 60′s. I know, I was there.

  • http://www.holisticforgeworks.com/ RR Anderson

    O winged horse of marble white, take me on a magic flight.

  • http://www.holisticforgeworks.com RR Anderson

    O winged horse of marble white, take me on a magic flight.

  • Bart

    I saw Harry Clarkes stained glass window “The Eve of St Agnes” while in Dublin.
    While it’s only small the detail is amazing, it work from 10 metres or 10 milimetres!
    There is a LOT of sexual imagery in his work, easily as much as Beardsly and that’s saying something!

  • Bart

    I saw Harry Clarkes stained glass window “The Eve of St Agnes” while in Dublin.
    While it’s only small the detail is amazing, it work from 10 metres or 10 milimetres!
    There is a LOT of sexual imagery in his work, easily as much as Beardsly and that’s saying something!

  • Stacey

    Clarke was a little later than Beardsley. They are similar but Clarke was even more ornate in his detailing–almost psychedelic.

    He did an incredible illustrated Hans Christian Andersen, and an even better collected works of Poe. I just picked up a 1933 edition of the Poe on ebay — the binding is trashed but who cares, I’m no collector. I just love Clarke and the plates are all intact…and GORGEOUS.

    Stacey Earley, Illustrator, Chicago

  • Stacey

    Clarke was a little later than Beardsley. They are similar but Clarke was even more ornate in his detailing–almost psychedelic.

    He did an incredible illustrated Hans Christian Andersen, and an even better collected works of Poe. I just picked up a 1933 edition of the Poe on ebay — the binding is trashed but who cares, I’m no collector. I just love Clarke and the plates are all intact…and GORGEOUS.

    Stacey Earley, Illustrator, Chicago

  • Markom

    Harry Clarke has been a huge influence on many illustrators, including myself … underappreciated and overly compared to Beardsley, Clarke’s work displays a delicate hand in the detail, but a boldness that comes from not being afraid of either large areas of white or black space … his working history of stained glass is clearly evident in his color illustration work – i see it it in his B&W pen work as well … i think the parallels to Beardsley are just, but heightened by their mutual sickly ways … thin, guant, disease-ridden childhoods cursed both, but did not hinder their prodigeous work …

    Clarke’s work in the Poe collection is fine and appropriate. His work for the Swinburne collection (his final book illustration) is his masterpiece in my mind … i see something different in these pieces everytime i look, but one must look deep … this book is difficult to find, particularly with an intact dust-wrapper … the reproduction of the illustrations is first-rate and the quality of the paper the same … fair market value with the dust-wrapper is between $500-$800 depending upon condition … the Preface to this edition is a rather unappreciative review of Clarke’s illustrations as interpretations of Swinburne’s poetry … probably true, but this does not diminish the quality of Clarke’s deft touch, particularly his treatment of the female form …

  • Markom

    Harry Clarke has been a huge influence on many illustrators, including myself … underappreciated and overly compared to Beardsley, Clarke’s work displays a delicate hand in the detail, but a boldness that comes from not being afraid of either large areas of white or black space … his working history of stained glass is clearly evident in his color illustration work – i see it it in his B&W pen work as well … i think the parallels to Beardsley are just, but heightened by their mutual sickly ways … thin, guant, disease-ridden childhoods cursed both, but did not hinder their prodigeous work …

    Clarke’s work in the Poe collection is fine and appropriate. His work for the Swinburne collection (his final book illustration) is his masterpiece in my mind … i see something different in these pieces everytime i look, but one must look deep … this book is difficult to find, particularly with an intact dust-wrapper … the reproduction of the illustrations is first-rate and the quality of the paper the same … fair market value with the dust-wrapper is between $500-$800 depending upon condition … the Preface to this edition is a rather unappreciative review of Clarke’s illustrations as interpretations of Swinburne’s poetry … probably true, but this does not diminish the quality of Clarke’s deft touch, particularly his treatment of the female form …

  • http://bearshappen.com/ patrick duncan

    I found the line work by Harry Clark very interesting. Very readable yet extremely textured. Like Beardsley without the irony. thank you.

  • http://bearshappen.com patrick duncan

    I found the line work by Harry Clark very interesting. Very readable yet extremely textured. Like Beardsley without the irony. thank you.

  • http://www.nocloo.com/ Minh Lai

    For those who are interested in Clarke’s works and other Golden Age illustrators. Please visit my site at http://www.nocloo.com/gallery2 for many of the illustrations scanned directly from the first editions books.

    Enjoy,
    -Minh Lai

  • http://www.nocloo.com Minh Lai

    For those who are interested in Clarke’s works and other Golden Age illustrators. Please visit my site at http://www.nocloo.com/gallery2 for many of the illustrations scanned directly from the first editions books.

    Enjoy,
    -Minh Lai