The Invisible Exhibit July 31, 2010
Posted by leskanturek in Exhibits, Summer Reading Project, The Invisible Man, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: Illustration Dept. Showcase, The Invisible Man
1 comment so far
The Illustration Department’s Summer Reading Project for 2010 is H. G. Wells’ classic “The Invisible Man”. First published in 1897, Wells’ science fiction novel gives us the timeless iconic mad experimenter who suffers from his scientific over-reaching, he plays with forces of nature he cannot control and pays with his life. Griffin’s invisibility can be seen as both a superpower and a curse. He is a victim and the aggressor. Taking place in the small English country town of Iping, location is crucial to the story. The mysterious stranger that appears terrorizes the locals in a very noir-ish fashion. The idea of paranoia contained in a small town is a theme artist and author Jeff Lemire handles brilliantly in “The Nobody”, a graphic novel based on Wells’ Invisible Man.
A showcase in the 8th floor lobby is devoted to examples of how the Invisible Man has been illustrated over time along with other images that explore the definition of invisibility. Ralph Ellison wrote his book, “The Invisible Man” in 1952, to explore themes of identity and racism. His narrator is invisible because people refuse to acknowledge him in society. If you are ‘voiceless” are you invisible? Camouflage renders someone or something …invisible, and there are millions of things we encounter everyday that are invisible to the naked eye. Being invisible is not only a physical state but a psychological, and political one as well. The Invisible Man presents a unique challenge for artists; How do you illustrate what you cannot see? What does it mean to be invisible?
A key to pieces in the showcase:
- Czech poster for the Invisible Man (Neviditelny) 1980’s
- Poster for the 1933 movie “The Invisible Man” Directed by James Whale (of Frankenstein fame).
- The Dell “mapback” paperback version of TIM (The Invisible Man) with a map of Sussex-Ipping.
- Painting by René Magritte
- “The Invisible Man” by Regino Gonzales, aka “RG
- Painting by René Magritte ”The-friend-of-order” 1964
- Sue Storm the Invisible woman of the Fantastic Four drawn by Jack Kirby.
- TIM poster for the 1933 movie
- “Fighting the World of Invisible Invaders: Outpacing infectious Disease” paperback book cover
- The Invisible Man” By Ralph Ellison paperback book cover 1952, on the right is a photo of the author.
- “Invisible Jim” As Not Seen On TV! Surreal novelty (courtesy of S. Guarnaccia)
- Classics illustrated #2 TIM . adapter/illustrator: Rick Geary
- Marvel comics TIM Adapted from H.G. Wells. Cover art by Jim Steranko 1972
- The Invisible Man. Chinese artist Lui Bolin paints himself to disappear into his surroundings to make a statement…no photo shop here.
- The Invisible Woman movie poster and ad that appears in the movie 1940.
- A parody of Hopper’s “Nighthawks”.
- Erotic Invisible man by Eric October
- Fantastic Four #1 1961
- Sue Storm-The Invisible Girl
- Paper back covers of TIM (right) Berkley Highland books Pub. (left) Readers Enrichment series
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, comic and panels. Story by Alan Moore, art by Kevin O’Neill.
- French, artist unkn.
- Cards, book, and spread. “The Nobody” , Vertigo comics Written illustrated by Jeff Lemire.
- Classics Illustrated #153 : TIM 1959 Painted Cover by Norman Node (courtesy of R. Sikoriyak)
- camouflaged moth
- Invisible short stories paperback (courtesy of S. Guarnaccia)
- Superman’s Pall Jimmy Olsen covers DC Comics # 12 1956 Curt Swan penciller, # 40 1959 1956 Curt Swan penciller
- The New Invisible Man c. 1958 Mexico
- Invisible Man: A Memorial to Ralph Ellison, Sculptor Elizabeth Catlett, 2003 Riverside Park @ 150th Street, Manhattan Bronze, granite. This sculpture honors author Ralph Ellison, who lived opposite this park
- Interior illustration for the Folio Society edition of The Invisible Man illustrated by Grahame Baker
- Ad for the 1933 movie explaining the special effects
- Batman Unseen DC Comics 2010 “In order to stop the unseen Dr. Glass from killing Bruce Wayne, Batman must use the invisibility serum on himself and battle the Invisible Man on his own terms”
- Marvel comics TIM Adapted from H.G. Wells. Cover art by Jim Steranko 1972
Invisible Man Book Jackets July 19, 2010
Posted by leskanturek in Books, Summer Reading Project, The Invisible Man.Tags: Invisible Man book jackets, Parson's Illustration Dept. Summer reading
add a comment
Below is a sampling of the Invisible Man book jackets.
Fourth row down from the top , the left book cover (red linen, with line drawing) is the cover of the first edition (1897).
Steamnocchio by Fabricio Moraes September 9, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in Pinocchio, Steampunk, Summer Reading Project.Tags: Fabricio Moraes, Gepetto, Pinocchio, Steam punk Pinocchio, Steampunk
add a comment
Fabricio Moraes’ wonderful entry to CGSociety: Society of Digital artists Steampunk challenge.
Steamnocchio. As Moraes has captioned it “ This is an adaptation of the Pinocchio story.
In this version, Geppetto is a mad and lonely old man. Since he has no friends at all, he decided to make one. With no magic or abracadabra stuff, he makes his creation alive with the power of steam”.
If you go to the cgsociety challenge page you’ll see a great breakdown of the illustration. Fabricio’s initial sketch, the steps in modeling the figures digitally, earlier version of the color and details. I’d highly reccomend it as well as seeing the other great entries on the site.
Pinoke Exhibit September 2, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in 3-D work, Art History, Pinocchio, Political and Social Art, Summer Reading Project.add a comment
Pinocchio
The Illustration Department’s 2009 Summer Reading Project
Each year, a book is selected that all illustration students read over the course of the summer break. When students return in the fall they have a common cultural experience that can be shared and discussed and that assignments are based on in class. This year’s book is Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.
Collodi, whose real name was Carlo Lorenzini, was a politically active writer of novels, pieces in political newspapers and satire as well as children’s literature in 19th century Italy. At 23 he founded Il Lampione (The Lamp), a satirical magazine that published for a year before being shut down by the government (it resumed publishing in 1860), From this social and political environment Pinocchio’s adventures (or misadventures) were born in 1881 as weekly installments in Il Giornale per i Bambini (an Italian children’s newspaper).
Collodi didn’t think much of his offspring. Originally he had ended the story with Pinocchio’s lynching. He eventually was persuaded to write further chapters.
Despite a ambivalent father, Pinocchio went on to great success (unfortunately after Collodi’s death in 1890). Pinocchio’s adventures are; fantastic, absurd, moralistic, entertaining, allegorical, satiric, in short all the things that make up a good story, and inspire great art.
By 1937 Pinocchio’s adventures were being published in 80 different editions including translations into Swahili, Gaelic and Esperanto. Pinocchio was a popular character before the 1940 premiere of Disney’s full length animated feature. Disney’s use of the story coincides with Collodi’s copyright expiring. As frightening as some of the scenes in the Disney movie can seem, catch Lampwick’s transformation into a donkey, the original story by Collodi is grimmer. Feet are burned off, Pinocchio is hung, chained up, there are funeral processions, huge sharks…a lot to scare a child into good behavior.
Disney’s version of Pinocchio certainly seems to dominate the visual landscape, but not everywhere. Travel to Italy or other continents than America and Pinocchio’s look can be quite unfamiliar…until we see the iconic long nose.
One hundred and twenty six years after his debut Pinocchio is very much a cultural icon. He is a metaphor for lying and bad behavior in politicians as well as a symbol of a character’s quest for humanity. Frankenstein, Astro Boy, David from Stanley Kuberick/Stephen Spielberg’s A.I., Edward Scissorhands, are all cousins of Pinocchio.
A Pinocchio exhibit is up on the 8th floor to peak your interest in the little wooden icon. Below is a key to what’s in the showcase.
space
Key
- Hanging Pinocchio 1944 –by Italian illustrator Giovanni Manca.
- Fables, 2002 (comic book) covers by illustrator James Jean. Geppetto and Pinocchio figure prominently in the story line of the characters from well known Fables in exile.
- Pinocchio shadow puppet
- Woodpeckers whittle down Pinocchio’s nose, from Italian children’s book illustrator Attilio Cassinelli’s 1981 Pinocchio book re’entititled “Once I was a piece of wood”.
- Fold out cover of the August 1972, (No. 29) National Lampoon. Nixon as Pinocchio with Henry Kissinger as Jiminy Cricket. Illustration by Robert Grossman.
- The Chicago Tribune offered a fold-up version of Illinois state Senator Roland Burris as Pinocchio. Burris was accused of offering a bribe in exchange for Obama’s Senate seat.
- “Pinocchio is caught by the gendarmes” by Attilio Mussino 1911.
- Pinocchio by Winshluss 2009
- Assorted Disney Pinocchio books , a bank . Pinocchio was Disney’s 2nd feature length animated film debuting in 1940.
- Pop-up Adventures of Pinocchio- J. Pavlin – G. Seda, (Czech, English version 1974)
- Cover of an Egyptian edition of Pinocchio.
- Zombie Pinocchio Tattoo (courtesy of BMEzine.com) and Jiminy cricket tattoo by Mark of High Voltage Tattoos.
- Astro Boy – a Japanese manga character by Osamu Tezuka , centering around a robot boy.
- By Italian illustrator and humorist Benito Jacovitti (1977?/ reissue 2001).
- Pinocchio float for the 1930 Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade.
- Pinocchio by Keith Haring
- A background from Disney’s Pinocchio 1940. Painted by Claude Coats
- Pinocchio by Attilio Mussino English 1911 edition. 18a. Character sketches for the 1940 Disney movie
- Pinocchio red wine by Dievole.
- A Polish poster for Disney’s Pinocchio.
- The Adventures of Pinocchio 1988 by Roberto Innocenti
- George Bush Coin
- The Adventures of Pinocchio (Italy) 1935 illustrated by Peiro Bernardini
- The New Adventures of Pinocchio, Dell Comic book 1963
- Pinocchio, the Boy, illustrated by Lane Smith 2002
- Luigi and Maria Augusta Cavalieri 1924.
- Pinocchio info to come
- Cut out nose from PinocchioPolititics.com (Behind 28) “Pinocchio is visited by the doctors” by Luigi and Maria Augusta Cavalieri 1924
- Pinocchio by Gianbattista Galizzi 1957
Pinocchio Cover Gallery July 29, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in Books, Pinocchio, Puppets, Summer Reading Project.1 comment so far
A sampling of Pinocchio books:
1. Lane Smith (2003) 2. Mauro Evangelista (2006) 3. Gus Grimly(2009) 4. Sara Fanelli (book with slipcase 2003) 5. J.J. Menet (France 1945) 6. Lois Lenski (1940)
7. Tony Sarg (1940) 8. Sergio Rizzato (1963) 9. Jim Dine (2006) 10. Art Seiden (1954) 11. Benito Jacovitti (Italy 2001) 12. Winshluss (2009)
13. Matthias Griebler (German 2007) 14. Lorenzo Mattotti (Italy 1991) 15. TK (Japan 1997)
16., 17. James Jean (2008)
18. J. Pavlin – G. Seda, (Czech, English version 1974)
Pinocchio/The Dark Side June 30, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in 3-D work, Pinocchio, Puppets, Summer Reading Project.Tags: dark side, death, mask, Pinocchio, Pinocchio tattoo, Skeleton, Vampire Slayer
add a comment
“Number 3 Chris Slipknot mask is an official licensed mask from Morbid Industries. … (the) mask is a bondage style Pinocchio latex mask, … The nose on this slipknot mask is approximately 4.5 inches long“
A Giant (Pinocchio?) skeleton at The Palazzo Reale in Milan by artist Gino De Dominicus titled “Calamita Cosmica”
Pinocchio’s death- an installation at the Guggenheim Museum in New York (2008) by artist Maurizio Cattelan, (titled Daddy Daddy)
space
(above) Zombie Pinocchio Tattoo ( courtesy of BMEzine.com)
Space
(above) Pinocchio’s Revenge , the 1996 horror film. “…..Evil comes with strings attached”. You can’t beat that as a tagline.
Space
(above) Pinocchio Vampire Slayer A graphic novel coming September 2009 drawn by Dustin Higgins and written by Van Jensen. Pinoke uses his nose as a wooden stake to kill the undead. If you look closely at the bottom right hand panel the vampire is saying with his dying breath ” Killed by a nose…how humiliating”.
space
(above) Geppetto from the DC/Vertigo comic book Fables. The story as written by Bill Willingham paints Pinocchio’s father as an deluded, tyrannical despot. I’ll save you the details of what has befallen the Blue Fairy at the hands of this monster.
Space
(above) Pinocchio: The Story of a Boy By Ausonia
Space
Where do I begin? The maggots on the cover should be a tip off of how dark this version of Pinocchio is. Here the story of our hero is turned upside down. The world is inhabited by wooden people , Gepetto is a butcher who sews together a creature that loosely resembles a bag of meat.
I first saw mention of this book on frankensteinia, a wonderful blog of all things related to Frankenstein. Which does raise an interesting point. In many ways Pinocchio and Frankenstein are cousins. Two beings invested with life, yet not quite whole. They both search for their humanity and as they do so provide a sometimes terrible reflection of what and how humanity can act towards the different and outsider. Ausonia tackles these themes with beautifully drawn art, the imagery is shocking and graphic. Ausionia’s site for this particular book of his offers sketches, and finished art with the authors thoughts on pinocchio. The pages can be translated fromm the Italian through your browser. www.ausonia-pinocchio.com/
Another book that explores the connection between Pinoke and Frank (also written up in frankensteinia) is The Cobbler’s Monster by Jeff Amano (writer), Craig Rousseau (pencils) and Wayne Faucher (Inks). This book is more of a blending of the two stories.
Pinocchio…”I’ll be back” May 11, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in Comics, Graphic Novels, Pinocchio, Puppets, Summer Reading Project, Uncategorized, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: Pinocchio, Vincent Parannaud, Winshluss
add a comment
Like the Terminator he seems to reference, Pinocchio is back, this time channeled through well known French comix artist Winshluss. His retelling of the classic children’s story was awarded the Fauve d’or (best comic book prize/ Gold Fauvre) at the 37th Angoulême International Comics Festival in France this year. Winshluss, is the pen name of Vincent Parannaud who might also be familiar to some as co-director with Marjane Satrapi on her animated film Persepolis.
Winshluss has created a wonderfully dark, comic noir interpretation of Carlo Collodi’s classic children’s story. The artwork is primarily done in pen and ink, and watercolor but switches to paint for larger splash panels. He references a terrific range of illustrative styles and history in the story from late 18th century pen and ink, to early French film pioneer Georges Méliès , through early Disney (don’t ask what indignities Snow White endures within these pages), and underground comix.
Disney’s 1940 animated Pinoccho seems to have become the definitive version here in the U.S., Winshluss work is much closer to Collodi than Disney in spirit. Like Collodi’s originally serialized story of the wooden marionette, Winshluss updated version was first published as serialized chapters in Ferraille Illustré, a French comics journal. Winshluss’ graphic novel is an adult noir movie that at times is both comedy and tragedy. The narrative begins with a shooting, and then flashes back to Pinocchio’s creation (he is now a robot like android) and his subsequent adventures. Collodi’s original story, which is also darker (Pinocchio is hung, Jiminy Cricket is killed…) than Disney’s version and was first intended as an adult story. Both versions portray Pinocchio going from one manipulative situation to another. Winshluss has also injected politics into his story which also played a part in Collodi’s original.
The Angoulême site described the book as an “Opera”, which it is in it’s visual lushness and drama. For the most part the book is wordless, with multiple character’s points of view all adding to the sum of Pinocchio’s story. Jiminy Cafard (Cafard translates as cockaroach as well as hypocrite and a feeling of severe depression), Pinochio’s companion provides the most talking in the book which seems appropriate, and provides comic relief.
Most of his appearances are rendered in black and white. As of now Winshluss’ Pinocchio is only available in French (which won’t stop you from enjoying it even if you’re not a French speaker) and through overseas online merchants . Hopefully it will be distributed in the states in the near future.
Place holder
All images © Winshluss and or Les Requins Marteaux
Frankenstein/Cultural Icon September 3, 2008
Posted by leskanturek in Class Topics, Frankenstein, Frankenstein Illustrated, Summer Reading Project, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: 8th Floor Showcase, Frankenstein illustrators
add a comment
A huge looming figure with a flattened head, bolts coming out of either side of his neck, and a halting stride with out stretched arms. The image of Frankenstein is universally recognized by young and old around the globe .Mary Shelley’s haunting novel, first published in 1818, and its themes of the consequences of man wielding the divine spark of human life, instantly captured the imagination of the public. Stage adaptations of the story began five years after the novel appeared. Parodies of the play were performed soon after that. Even those early plays only remotely resembled Mary Shelley’s original novel, they instead paid homage too the novels main themes and catered (much as todays audience) to the public’s love of being frightened.
Part of the power of the myth is that Frankenstein exists as both victim and villain, clown and monster. The creature can be a lovable, bumbling cartoon character pushing kids cereal or an angry, tattooed, anti-establishment punk rocker. The creature has been the subject of plays, movies, and television, action figures, graphic novels, comic books, music and is even an adjective in our language (think Franken-food).
Mary Shelley’s creature is alive and has a life of it’s own.
The monster’s story has been reinterpreted and retold in a wide range of media, and across generations. Each re-imagining of the story adds something to the myth as well as reflecting the time period it’s produced in. In fact, it’s Boris Karloff’s interpretation of the creature (from James Whale’s 1931 movie) that has replaced Mary Shelley’s original description of the monster in the mind of the public.
Frankenstein/Summer Reading Project 2008
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley was the 2008 selection for the Illustration Department’s Summer Reading Project. All illustration students had the common cultural experience of reading Frankenstein.
The story of Victor Frankenstein, and his scientific offspring present unique challenges to illustrate. There are a number of themes to explore in the original book and how to convey them visually; parental responsibility, and rejection, the moral scope of new technology, point of view, and notions of good and evil, to name a few.
There is the problem of avoiding cliches, images we have all seen before vs. finding a new look to the story.
Frankenstein/Cultural Icon Display, 8th floor showcase
Below is the showcase on the 8th floor with a fraction of the things spawned by the myth of Frankenstein’s Monster. Thank you to Bob Sikoryak, Roger and Mary Bow , and Steven Guarnaccia for their contributions.
Key to display in 8th floor showcase
- Poster for I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, 1957 Released by American International Pictures.
- Playbill for the Broadway musical and VHS box for the original movie (1974) of Young Frankenstein, by Mel Brooks.
- Famous Monsters of Filmland 1965 yearbook, Published by James Warren, edited by Forest J. Ackerman.
- DVD box of The Golem, a silent movie directed by and staring Paul Wegener (as the golem) 1920. (left), small clay golem from Prague. reportedly, Frankenstein Director James Whale screened The Golem and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) in preparation for Frankenstein. The Golem is a man made creature with no soul, formed out of clay.
- Spread from the third edition (1831) of Frankenstein with engraved vignette titles and frontispieces by Theodor Von Holst.
- Poster for Metropolis (1927) by Fritz Lang. A silent movie taking place in the future (2027) in which among other things a human like female robot is created.
- Still and poster from the 1990 movie, Edward Scissorhands, directed by Tim Burton. Edward is the artificial creation of a scientist (Vincent Price) who died before completing the attachment of his more human like hands.
- Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition of Frankenstein with cover art by Daniel Clowes.
- Frankenstein latex Halloween mask.
- Trading card depicting the cover of Frankenstein comics #2 drawn by Dick Briefer, Published by Prize Publications, 1945 (?).
- View master reels of Frankenstein (1976). Click here to see the images on the reels.
- Frankenstein, Illustrated By Robert Andrew Parker Publisher: Clarkson N. Potter (1976)
- The Diary of Victor Frankenstein, by Timothy Basil Ering (Illustrator), published by DK INK 1997
- Stamps, two British 1997 (drawn portrait by Ian Pollock) stamps , one U.S. , Boris Karloff /Frankenstein portrait by illustrated by Thomas Blackshear II)
- Frankenberry cereal, made by General Mills appeared in 1971. Strawberry flavored with marshmallow pieces. Other monsters were Count Chocula and Boo Berry. Yummy Mummy was a character from 1988 -1993. Frankenberry is still being made just in lower numbers. It’s easiest to find around Halloween.
- Poster for The Curse of Frankenstein ,1957 by Hammer Film Productions a British horror film company. Peter Cushing plays Baron Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee plays the creature.
- Bernie Wrightson’s Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus, text by Mary Shelly, illustrated by Bernie Wrightson. Published by Mavel (1980) Youtube documentary on the book and Site devoted to the illustrations.
- Electric Frankenstein! by Sal Canzonieri. Published by Dark Horse (2004)Poster art of the punk rock band Electric frankenstein featuring artwork by Coop, Kozik, Johnny Ace, The Pizz, Lisa Petrucci, Derek Hess, Alan Forbes, among others. Sal Canzonieri is a founder of the band. Misc. art from the book is on display too.
- Happy Birthday Frankie, by Sarah Weeks (Author), Warren Linn (Illustrator), Published by Laura Geringer (1999).
- Cover from the Classics illustrated version of Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. Acclaim Comics, Inc. © Twin Circle Publishing Co., (1958) Painting by Norman Saunders.
- Universal Monsters: Son of Frankenstein 12-Inch figure. The figure comes with an arm, a comic and a display base.
- Paperback book editions of Frankenstein: Signet Classics (1965) Illustrator unknown, Dell Publishing edition (1972), Illustrator unknown, Scholastic (1974) Illustrator Margret Howlett.
- The Cobbler’s Monster, by by Jeff Amano (Author), Craig Rousseau (Author/Artist), Wayne Faucher (Author/Artist), Giulia Brusco (Author), Image Comics (2006). The Frankenstein mythos mingled with Pinnochio among others.
- Frankenstein, illustrated by Lynd Ward, reprint edition. first edition 1934, Published by Harrison Smith and Robert Haas. These have to be seen to be believed . Ward is a master story teller as well as wood engraver. He is probably best know for his novels without words, forerunners to what we call graphic novels. There are a number of places on line to view illustrations from the book. http://www.nijomu.com/blog/?p=200 or http://paganpressbooks.com/jpl/LYNDWARD.HTM I urge you to check out his work, there is a wonderful sense of pathos in the creature that I have not seen anywhere else.
- Bride of Frankenstein poster Directed by James Whale. With Boris Karloff, and Elsa Lanchester as both Mary Shelley and the Bride.
- Frankenstein…the nut cracker.
- Marvel Classics Comics Vol 1 #20 (1977) by Marvel. Cover Artists Gene Colan, Ernie Chan
- Frankenstein comics drawn by Dick Briefer, Published by Prize Publications.
- The 1934 Heritage press version of Frankenstein, illustrated by Everett Henry. This is the only illustration where the “monster appears”. Throughout the book the creature is depicted only as a shadow.
- Advertisement for a 7 foot tall Frankenstein monster for only $1.00 (plus 35¢ for postage and handling of course.) seen in a comic book.
- Halloween Monster bolts
- Video display- now playing…episodes of The Munsters 1964-66
You can also find out more about the Summer Reading Project at : http://www2.parsons.edu/illustration/frankenstein/
Frankenstein Illustrated/ Harry Brockway August 28, 2008
Posted by leskanturek in Art History, Frankenstein, Frankenstein Illustrated, Summer Reading Project.Tags: book illustration, Harry Brockway, wood engraving
add a comment
I do not have much info on this illustrator . The wood engravings that I’ve seen online from the Folio Society’s (UK) 2004 edition of Frankenstein are wonderful interpretations of the characters. A number of Wood engravers have tackled Frankenstein such as Lynd Ward and Barry Moser. Here is what I can dig up (no Frankenstein pun intended) on Mr. Brockway.
(Above) The cover and an interior illustration for the Folio Society’s 2004 edition of Frankenstein.
(Above) Title page
(Above) Frankenstein in the arctic (Right) an early sculpture by Harry (photo from Old Stile Press blog .
British illustrator Harry Brockway was born in 1958, and received a BA from Kingston upon Thames, in sculpture, and a Post-graduate Diploma sculpture from Royal Academy Schools. He taught art and is also trained as stone mason.
He has worked for the the Old Stile Press, where some of his stone carving can be seen. the Greynog Press, The Readers Digest Association and the Folio Society.
I find it perfectly understandable that Mr. Brockway is trained as both a sculptor and a wood engraver. Anyone can tell you that has created wood blocks, or engravings, there is a sculptural aspect to carving wood for printmaking. You usually fall in love with the material that you are carving and the finished block.
Frankenstein Illustrated/Theodor Von Holst August 28, 2008
Posted by leskanturek in Art History, Artists, Frankenstein, Frankenstein Illustrated, Summer Reading Project.Tags: 1831 edition of Frankenstein, Hanry Fuseli, Theodor Von Holst
add a comment
The first edition of Frankenstein was published in 1818. The first instance of it being illustrated is the third edition of 1831 with engraved vignette titles and frontispieces by Theodor Von Holst.
(Above) Pages from the the 1831, 3rd edition, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley. These pages do appear as a spread in the book. (Left) The text on the frontispiece reads: ‘By the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs … I rushed out of the room’, (right) Frankenstein departs from Elizabeth.
Theodor Von Holst
A 19th century British painter, and the first artist to tackle illustrating Frankenstein. Von Holst was mentored by Henry Fuseli whom he met as a student at the Royal Academy of Arts in London where Fuseli was a Professor of Painting. Von Holst was a student of Fuseli’s for only a year when Fuseli died in 1825. Henry Fuseli had a huge influence on Von Holst despite the short time period. He (Fuseli) is of course the well known painter of supernatural subjects (you probably know his 1781 painting “ Nightmare”).
(Above) The Nightmare, 1781 by Henry Fuseli
Von Holst’s work is very reminiscent of Fuseli’s. He gained a reputation of illustrating the German Romantics (Goethe’s Faust) as well as the supernatural, so his choice as illustrator seems fitting.
(Above) Two painting by Von Holst done around the same timeas the illustrations for Frankenstein. (Left) Bertalda, Assailed by Spirits c.1830, (right) Bertalda Frightened by Apparitions c.1830-1835
A note about Henry Fuseli. Fuseli was Swiss born, and the idea for Frankenstein was conceived in Switzerland near lake Geneva as well as part of the book’s plot takes place in Switzerland. It is also worth mentioning that Mary Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, had an affair with Fuseli.
