Wearing of the Green

The Wearing of the Green by Ellen H. Clapsaddle

Yes, I've been away from the blog for quite a while. Sadly, I have been persistently unwell for around a week. This has sapped my energy something fierce.

But, since it's St. Patrick's Day. I figured that we could put up a few images to celebrate the holiday. And, this time around, we're steering clear of the Irish whiskey. ;-)

Irish Barbie wishes you a Happy St. Patrick's Day. Party responsibly and steer clear of the fisticuffs.

Enjoy!!!

Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here

Gustave Dore's illustration of Dante questioning the damned frozen in Lake Cocytus

Last year, we celebrated the birth date of Gustave Dore by looking at his biblical illustrations. Since today is Spooky Sunday, it seems only proper that we look at some of Dore's most haunting works, the images created for Dante's Inferno.

There are plenty of gruesome scenes to select, but my favorites are with Francesca and the Lustful being carrying aloft forever upon a tireless, swirling wind, and with Farinata who pridefully argues among the Heretical in their smoldering sarcophagi, and, of course, upon seeing the frozen bottom layer with the Treacherous trapped in the ice of Lake Cocytus, formed from the endless tears of Satan himself!!! Yeah, there are other horrific situations, loathsome and insidious. But these are my three iconic vistas of Perdition.

Other artists have tried their hand at drawing nightmarish visions from Dante's text, sometimes with great success. However, in terms of breadth and consistency, nobody beats Dore in envisioning the words. He makes Hell take shape.

Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta, tossed endlessly by the gusts of Lust

Personally, I've never been a Dante enthusiast, but looking at Dore's work makes me want to give the Divine Comedy another read, especially Paradiso, which I have only read once, back in my college years, when I thought it was so boring as to make my eyes blur with tedium. Yeah, I hate rereading works, but sometimes our perspectives become so changed as to make the text relate to us anew.

In a Kingdom by the Sea

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809.

We can't let the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth date go by without marking the occasion. ;-)

A master of the macabre, Poe could weave dread and despair, madness and mystery, into the very words of his poetry and stories. The cadence of his writings hint of a mental state on the verge of hysteria, building to a frenzy of gothic romanticism as the narrative concludes. His works always give a wild thrill of terror, a haunting glimpse of the bizarre.

Yes, Poe does get a bit overheated and verbose from time to time, but I feel that's part of his charm. His excess is an expression of his authenticity. As a writer, he gets so caught up in the work that he loses control; the dread and sensation that he creates is felt first by him.

Annabel Lee (1910) by John R. Neill

As usual, I have a hard time picking my favorite work by Poe, but "Annabel Lee" is my choice for today.

Image of the Words

Judith and Holofernes (1866) by Gustave Dore

My approach to appreciating art, in all of its forms, is to look for a meaning, a narrative, some type of significance, which will stimulate my mind in some aesthetic manner. Therefore, illustration would seem to be the art form which I would love most, but it isn't. Too often, illustrators rely upon the written text to carry the burden of the narrative creativity, which results in mere functionality without adding to or transforming the base inspiration.

In my view, illustration is like alchemy, taking a source material and transforming it, through the addition of images, into a more refined product. Of course, some works start out at such a higher grade that you can't really "improve" it, but a quality illustrator can add value by creating linked images that amplify the impact of the text.

Few illustrators in the history of the art form have been as good at this as Gustave Dore.

The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones (1866) by Gustave Dore.

So, in honor of his birth date, born in 1832, let's admire some of his awesome Biblical illustrations.

Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers

"Raggedy Ann and Books" from Raggedy Andy Stories (1920) by Johnny Gruelle


Coinciding with Christmas Eve, December 24th marks the birth date of Johnny Gruelle, born in 1880, known primarily as the creator of Raggedy Ann, first published in 1918.

I find something very charming about the simple, old-fashioned rag doll. Unlike ceramic dolls of the era, rag dolls were made for play, to get tossed around, to get dirty. They weren't put up on a shelf for display, touched only for dusting. And unlike later mass produced dolls, the humble handcrafted doll was unique, and not in a faddish "cabbage patch" way.

Now, fancy high tech gifts can be useful, and elite expensive treats are enviable, but sometimes the simple things are the most memorable and lasting presents of them all.

"Flying with the kite" from Raggedy Ann Stories (1918) by Johnny Gruelle

So, let's be thankful for the gifts which we have and will receive. Let's wish that others will find happiness in that which they shall receive. :-)

My Conscience Got to Stirring Me Up

"Thinking" (1884) by E. W. Kemble, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Sometimes people ask me about my favorite novel. I can never give an honest or consistent answer to them; there are so many considerations that qualify my selection. However, I'm certain that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is in my top five.

I'm not a big fan of the overall plot structure, especially not the last third, but I always enjoy Huck's character, his interior conversations, his childish innocence and his commonsense morality. Most of all, I adore Huck's authenticity. He is as "real" to me as many people who I have "really" met. ;-)

I have a thing against rereading books. Because there are so many great books that I have yet to read, it seems foolish to read a novel a second time. For me, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn always justify an extra read.

"On the Raft" (1884) by E. W. Kemble, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Published on this date in 1884, let's celebrate Mark Twain's enduring creation.

Epic Adventures in Imaginal Realms of the Self

Bad News Bat (2011) by David Jien

The Richard Heller Gallery is currently exhibiting "The Plight of the Who" works by David Jien. These drawings depict a fantastic world in which humanity and their free-spirited anthropomorphic allies, the Who, are in an epic struggle against the immoral and homogenized forces of the lizardmen and their blue egg-headed allies. Set within a weird realm that seems drawn from a role-playing game, the warring sides contend to determine the fate of an important child.

As a life-long gamer, these works caught my enthusiasm at first sight. They portray scenes from the fantastic narrative of the Who's epic adventure, although this show is focused only on "Chapter One" of the story. There are moments of discovery, as when the Who Riders come across the Statue. There are moments of decadence, as depicted at the unsettling interspecies orgy between the lizard men and the human women. And then there are moments of heroism, as when the Who Riders faces overwhelming odds against the hordes of their reptilian foes. Even the pictures of the Collector viewing his collection has an implied narrative significance.

The Who Riders (2010) by David Jien

But it isn't just the narrative or fantastic imagery that makes this show so compelling. Jien's attention to detail is superb! Minute elements of texture or pattern are delivered with precision and with cohesion to the overall composition. Each subject of each picture is designed with meticulous consideration. Even the uniform figures of the lizardmen and the blue egg-heads are given focused articulation. It's an awesome display of craftsmanship.

Frazetta and the Martian Princess

". . . Nor could any apparel have enhanced the beauty of her figure!"


My earlier post focused on colored artworks, but some of my favorite illustrations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series are Frank Frazetta's pen and ink interior illustrations. Here are two from Princess of Mars. Good stuff!!!



"Scarcely had his hideous laugh rung out when I was upon him. . ."



Music or Mars?

John Carter of Mars and Dejah Thoris (2009) by Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo


Since I'm in a bit of a rush today, we'll compress the celebration of Edgar Rice Burroughs' birth date (1875) and Johann Pachelbel's (1653) into one post. This may become the model for future days when I'm torn between two inspirations. Since Burroughs has plenty of illustrations to depict his work, but few quality videos, he'll have the front page. Meanwhile, Pachelbel has virtually no interesting images but many, many vids. So he'll come after the jump.

Today we'll focus on images of Burroughs' Barsoom. Why? Well, there is a John Carter of Mars movie coming out later this year. Second, Dejah Thoris, princess of the Martian city-state of Helium, is the original interplanetary super-hottie. Many an illustrator has been inspired by this Martian muse. ;-)


Cover art to Edgar Rice Burroughs' Princess of Mars by Frank Frazetta (1970)


If it's Tarzan or images of the Hollow Earth land of Pellucidar that you desire, then wait until next year or so.



Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium (2010) by Frank Cho


As regards Barsoom, Princess of Mars was published as a serial in 1912 and republished as a novel in 1917. The series spans 11 books. The success of this series created the Planetary Romance subgenre of Science Fiction.

Father of Science Fiction

Amazing Stories, April 1926 (Illustration by Frank R. Paul)

A quick hit to celebrate the birthdate of Hugo Gernsback, born August 16, 1884. Here are a couple covers to the original Science Fiction magazine, Amazing Stories.



Amazing Stories, Febuary 1929 (Illustration by Frank R. Paul)


Enjoy!!!

Half Sick of Shadows

The Lady of Shalott (1888) by John William Waterhouse

Alfred Tennyson was born on this date in 1809. His works have become the paragons of Victorian poetry. To commemorate his legacy of beauty, here are a few stanzas of my favorite Tennyson poem.

The Lady of Shalott (Stanzas 2-5)

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.

By the margin, willow veil'd,
Slide the heavy barges trail'd
By slow horses; and unhail'd
The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd
Skimming down to Camelot:
But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand?
Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?

Only reapers, reaping early,
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly;
Down to tower'd Camelot;
And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy
Lady of Shalott."

There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.



The Lady of Shalott (1905) by William Holman Hunt

 Absolutely beautiful.

Paying the Piper

Pied Piper of Hamelin by Gustave Spangenberg

In 1384, the town records of Hamelin records:

"It is 100 years since our children left."

That is our earliest documentation of the "Pied Piper" incident of the German town of Hamelin. Details regarding a piper, the infestation of rats, and the fate of the children get introduced in later eras. For instance, the Lueneburg manuscript (c. 1440-50) documents:

In the year of 1284, on the day of Saints John and Paul
on 26 June
130 children born in Hamelin were seduced
By a piper, dressed in all kinds of colours,
and lost at the place of execution near the koppen.

That's more detail, but it remains vague. What does the text mean by "seduced"? How were the children "lost"? Moreover, it's nearly two centuries after the event. Given the standards of the era, can their history be trusted?



Pied Piper of Hamelin by Kate Greenaway


Regardless of the historical particulars, the story has been a source of inspiration of writers and artists over the centuries.

Unless Someone like You Cares a Whole Awful Lot

"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!"
- Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)

Which writer has had the greatest influence on the way you live your life? That's a tough question for me to answer. However, in my Top Ten list, I'd definitely have to list Dr. Seuss. As a child, I was an avid reader and Dr. Seuss' books were among my favorites. I loved the illustrations. I was delighted by the sound of the word read aloud. And the stories had purposes.

Horton defends those who are "beneath notice." The Grinch discovers that joy isn't limited to material goods. The Lorax warns against reckless consumption. These tales and others had ethical dimensions written in a manner so that even a young child might understand. They left an indelible mark upon my spirit by teaching me about empathy and compassion in my earliest years.

Even today, when I read or hear a Seussian tale, it feels as if my "heart grows three sizes" upon the conclusion.

Here's a link to Dr. Seuss' Wikipedia page.