Arthur Rackham - ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table''

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"The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" (1917)

Illustrated by Arthur Rackham

The tone of the tale - and Rackham's accompanying imagery - is set in the first sentence of Pollard's Preface:

The story of King Arthur and his Knights is one of the greatest that men have ever made,

greater by far than that of Charlemagne, which had come into fashion a little earlier, greater

perhaps even than the Tale of Troy, already some two thousand years old, which for some

centuries it eclipsed.

Pollard's version of Malory's "Morte d'Arthur" includes tales of: King Arthur; Sir Launcelot; Sir Gareth; Sir Tristram; Sir Launcelot and

Dame Elaine; Sir Galahad and the Quest of the Holy Grail; and Launcelot, Guenever, and King Arthur.

Malory's own "Morte d'Arthur" was compiled from folk tales, with the addition of some original material related to Sir Gareth. The original

version of the tales was first published by William Caxton in 1485 and the Malory's compilation is regarded as the best-known work of

English-language Arthurian literature.

Some insight into Rackham's preparation of the illustrations for this commission is provided by Hamilton (1990) in "Arthur Rackham:

A Life with Illustration":

In preparing for the commission, Rackham turned to his own copy of Beardsley's "Morte D'Arthur"

and, following the pattern of the Beardsley version, drew square and rectangular chapter heardings

to be set at irregular intervals up and down the page. As in Beardsley, these have a stark black

and white appearance, though Rackham cannot resist the occasional wryly humorous touch such

as a barking dog or a jester's head. The closest Rackham comes to Beardsley, however, is in his

illustration of 'Sangreal', a flaming lidded chalice carried by an attenuated golden-haired

white-robed maiden. This homage to Aubrey is based closely on Beardsley's own angel in

'The Achieving of the Sangreal', the frontispiece to Volume Two of "Morte D'Arthur".

Rackham's illustrations for "The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" - including colour, monotone and marginal

designs - are magnificent.

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Cover for ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917), illustrated by Arthur Rackham

On the left, we show a rare copy of "The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table"

as prepared by Pollard from Malory's "Morte d'Arthur" and illustrated by Rackham and published by

The MacMillan Company (London and New York) in 1917.

This example retains the original decoratively gilt-stamped green cloth cover.

To the right, we show the unadorned Title Page.

Title Page for ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917), illustrated by Arthur Rackham

Our Greeting Cards and Fine Art Posters showing Arthur Rackham's artwork for the
First Edition of "The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" (1917)

Greeting Card sample showing an Arthur Rackham illustration from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

For connoisseurs of Rackham's work, we have prepared sets of 16 Greeting Cards (approximately 7x5" on premium acid-free card stock)

displaying each of his colour images for "The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" and on the left, we show an

example of how these Greeting Cards appear.

Code: AR RKKRT CS(16)
Price: US$80.00

When presented on Greeting Cards, these images are prepared as tipped-on plates - in 'hommage' to the hand-crafted approach

typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century. Each card is hand-finished and the

images are presented on Ivory card stock with an accompanying envelope. The rear of each card carries information about

Arthur Rackham, this wonderful suite and the profiled illustration - we have left the interior of the cards blank so that you may write

your own personal message.

Should you wish to order a reproduction print of one or more of these images, we have provided some options below. Each of our

Fine Art Posters is prepared with archival quality papers and inks - and also accompanied by information about Arthur Rackham,

this suite and the profiled illustration.

To purchase, simply click on the appropriate "Add to Cart" button and you will be taken through to our Shopping Cart secured through

PayPal. Multiple purchases will be consolidated by that feature and shipping and handling costs to any destination in the world are

accommodated by our flat-rate fee of US$20 for every US$200 worth of purchases.

Of course, should you wish to discuss some customised options, we welcome your contact on any matter through

ThePeople@SpiritoftheAges.com.

In the meantime, enjoy perusing these wonderful images from Arthur Rackham.

Fine Art Poster sample showing an Arthur Rackham illustration from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

An example of one of our Fine Art Posters

in a superb 12x18" format

The colour illustrations by Arthur Rackham for the First Edition of
"The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How Arthur drew his sword Excalibur for the first time' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How by her subtle working she made Merlin to go under the stone to let her wit of the marvels there: and she wrought so there for him that he came never out for all the craft he could do' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How Sir Launcelot slew the knight Sir Peris de Forest Savage that did distress ladies, damosels, and gentlewomen' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Of King Arthur

How Arthur drew his sword

Excalibur for the first time

(Frontispiece)

Of King Arthur

Merlin and Nimue

How by her subtle working she made

Merlin to go under the stone to let her

wit of the marvels there: and she

wrought so there for him that he came

never out for all the craft he could do

Of Sir Launcelot

How Sir Launcelot slew the knight

Sir Peris de Forest Savage that did

distress ladies, damosels, and

gentlewomen

Of Sir Gareth

How Beaumains defeated the Red Knight,

and always the damosel spake many foul

words unto him

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 1 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 2 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 3 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 4 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Arthur Rackham - 'How Dame Lionesse came forth arrayed like a princess' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How Tristram and Isoud drank the love drink' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How Tristram was known by the little brachet in the garden of King Mark's castle' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How at a great feast the King Mark made came Eliot the harper and sang the lay that Dinadan had made' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Of Sir Gareth

How Dame Lionesse came forth

arrayed like a princess

Of Sir Tristram

How Tristram and Isoud drank the

love drink

Of Sir Tristram

How Tristram was known by the

little brachet in the garden of

King Mark's castle

Of Sir Tristram

How at a great feast that King Mark

made came Eliot the harper and sang

the lay that Dinadan had made

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 5 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 6 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 7 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 8 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Arthur Rackham - 'The Questing Beast' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How Sir Launcelot fought with a friendly dragon' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How at the Castle of Corbin a maiden bare in the Sangreal and foretold the achievements of Galahad' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How Galahad drew out the sword from the floating stone at Camelot' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Of Sir Tristram

The Questing Beast

Of Sir Launcelot and Dame Elaine

How Sir Launcelot fought with

a friendly dragon

Of Sir Launcelot and Dame Elaine

How at the Castle of Corbin a maiden

bare in the Sangreal and foretold the

achievements of Galahad

Of Sir Galahad and the Quest

of the Holy Grail

How Galahad drew out the sword from

the floating stone at Camelot

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 9 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 10 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 11 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 12 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Arthur Rackham - 'How King Arthur and Queen Guenever went to see the barge that bore the corpse of Elaine the Fair Maiden of Astolat' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How Sir Launcelot was shot by a gentlewoman hunting' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Arthur Rackham - 'How Queen Guenever rode a-Maying into the woods and fields beside Westminster' from ''The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table'' (1917)

Of Launcelot, Guenever, and

King Arthur

How King Arthur and Queen Guenever

went to see the barge that bore the

corpse of Elaine the Fair Maiden

of Astolat

Of Launcelot, Guenever, and

King Arthur

How Sir Launcelot was shot by a

gentlewoman hunting

Of Launcelot, Guenever, and

King Arthur

How Queen Guenever rode a-Maying into

the woods and fields beside Westminster

Of Launcelot, Guenever, and

and King Arthur

How Mordred was slain by Arthur

and how by him Arthur was hurt to

the death

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 13 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 14 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 15 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

Fine Art Poster (12x18'')

Code: AR RKKRT 16 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

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"The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" (1917)

Illustrated by Arthur Rackham

Our Greeting Cards and Fine Art Posters showing Arthur Rackham's artwork for the First Edition of "The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" (1917)

The colour illustrations by Arthur Rackham for the First Edition of "The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" (1917)

Our Greeting Cards and Fine Art Posters showing Arthur Rackham's artwork for the
First Edition of "The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" (1917)

The colour illustrations by Arthur Rackham for the First Edition of
"The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" (1917)