Harry Clarke Collection at Spirit of the Ages

Harry Clarke Collection

Throughout the page that follows, we have presented a selection of vintage plates from Harry Clarke.

These images are drawn from his contributions to titles including: Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (1916);

The Year's at the Spring (1920); Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1923); Goethe's Faust (1925); and

Selected Poems of Algernon Swinburne.


One of 16 colour images	One of many monotone images	One of 12 colour images	One of many monotone images
*Fairy Tales by* *Hans Christian Andersen*		*The Year's at the Spring*


One of 8 colour images	One of many monotone images	One of 8 colour images	One of many monotone images
*Tales of Mystery and Imagination*		*Faust*

Throughout the page that follows, we have shown images optimised for reproduction in a range of formats. We consider

those identified to be the largest formats that allows the accurate reproduction of form, line and colour as prepared by Clarke

and published in the 1st Edition plates. To reproduce the images, we have utilised a high definition capture and reproduction

technique. Purchasing one, or more, of those reproductions is a simple as clicking on the "Add to Cart" buttons and following

the prompts provided for PayPal purchase.

We have also developed a range of Giftware that includes images reproduced on cards, infants' clothing, T-shirts and

unmatted, matted or framed prints (8x6", 10x8", 12x10", 15x10" and 30 x 20" images sizes). Pricing starts at US$4 for single

Gift Cards (US$18 for select packs of 6) and 10 x 8" prints (double-matted and framed) begin at US$60. Further details

on those reproduction images are available at the Giftware section of this site.

Should you wish to discuss an order, please contact us at ThePeople@SpiritoftheAges.com referencing your request

with the Stock Code of the plate, or plates in question and a brief description.

In the meantime, enjoy browsing our selection of genuine vintage and antique plates.

The Artwork of Harry Clarke

Harry Clarke (1889-1931) was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts movement and is best known for his

stained glass designs and book illustrations.

Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen was his first published work, although he had previously been working on

illustrations to accompany Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - work which had been destroyed in Dublin's

devastating 1916 Easter Uprising. A number of commissions followed Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen, including

his contributions to Tales of Mystery and Imagination - a project that established his stellar reputation as an illustrator.

His second to last project, Faust, is considered his most important as it is a precursor to the evocative psychedelic

imagery that has come to be associated with artwork from the 1960s. Selected Poems of Algernon Swinburne was his

final commission and, due to the licentious nature of Clarke's illustrations, that title was banned in Ireland.

Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (1916)

Harry Clarke's first illustrated book, Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen - published by George G Harrap & Co. Ltd. (London) in 1916. Harrap's address for this 1st Edition is shown on the Title Page as 2 & 3 Portsmouth St, Kingsway WC.

Printing for this edition was undertaken by The Complete Press at West Norwood (England).

To the left, we show the original purple suede

embossed cover with gilt title - one of the variant

bindings known to exist for this Edition.

On the right, we show another of the variant bindings

identified for this Edition - one with black-stamped cloth

covers with an applied paste-down.

To the left, we show the highly decorated Title Page

for the 1st Edition - as prepared by Harry Clarke.

On the right, we show the printing

citation for The Complete Press.

Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen was Harry Clarke's first published commission and his colour and monotone

work for this title represents a stunning debut as a book illustrator. The colour illustrations prepared by Clarke are

brilliantly loaded with detail, a wonderfully eclectic and rich palate and his characteristic unique line and form. His

monotone contributions are similarly masterful.

This compendium includes classic tales from Hans Christian Andersen including: "The Tinder-Box"; "Great Claus

and Little Claus"; "Thumbelina"; "The Travelling Companion"; "The Emperor's New Clothes"; "The Goloshes

of Fortune"; "What the old man is always right"; "The Storks"; "The Ugly Duckling"; "The Shepherdess and the

Chimney-Sweeper"; "The Fir Tree"; "The Swineherd"; "The Snow Queen"; "The Nightingale"; "The Little Match

Girl"; "The Elf-Hill"; "The Old House"; "The Butterfly"; "The Little Sea Maid"; "The Wild Swans"; "The Marsh

King's Daughter"; "The Garden of Paradise"; and "What the Moon saw".

Paste-down

(shown in oval cartouche with decorative stamped cloth detail surround)

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA PD

Cover

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA C1

Cover

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA C2

Spine

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA S

Rear Cover

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA S

Half-Title

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA 1

Title

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA 2

Contents

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA 3

List of Illustrations

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA 4

List of Illustrations

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA 5

The Tinder Box

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA 6

The Tinder Box

"What am I to do in the tree?" asked the soldier

Code: HC FTHCA 7

The Tinder Box

There sat the dog with eyes as big as teacups

Code: HC FTHCA 8

The Tinder Box

Monotone Illustration

(also shown with "The Ugly Duckling")

Code: HC FTHCA 9

Great Claus and Little Claus

Where did you get all that money from?

Code: HC FTHCA 10

Great Claus and Little Claus

That's a bad fellow, that man

Code: HC FTHCA 11

Great Claus and Little Claus

Monotone Illustration

(also shown with "What the Old Man does is always right",

"The Butterfly" and "What the Moon saw")

Code: HC FTHCA 12

Thumbelina

She took her girdle and bound one end of it

round the butterfly

Code: HC FTHCA 13

Thumbelina

She should be Queen of all the Flowers

Code: HC FTHCA 14

Thumbelina

Monotone Illustration

(also shown with "The Hardy Tin Soldier",

"The Swineherd", "The Nightingale" and

"The Wild Swans")

Code: HC FTHCA 15

The Travelling Companion

"I am going out into the wide World too," said

the strange man

Code: HC FTHCA 16

The Travelling Companion

Let him have his head cut off

Code: HC FTHCA 17

The Travelling Companion

Monotone Illustration

(also shown with "The Little Sea Maid")

Code: HC FTHCA 18

The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor is in the wardrobe

Code: HC FTHCA 19

The Emperor's New Clothes

Oh, How well they look! How capitally they fit!

Code: HC FTHCA 20

The Emperor's New Clothes

Monotone Illustration

(also shown with "the Fir Tree)

Code: HC FTHCA 21

The Galoshes of Fortune

"That is probably a Museum of Art," thought

he, "where they have forgotten to take down

the sign"

Code: HC FTHCA 22

The Galoshes of Fortune

Yes, people write poetry when they are in love

Code: HC FTHCA 23

The Galoshes of Fortune

Quickly he passed on into another Female Heart.

This appeared to him like a great Holy Church.

Code: HC FTHCA 24

The Hardy Tin Soldier

"Tin Soldier!" said the Goblin, "Don't stare

at things that don't concern you"

Code: HC FTHCA 25

What the Old Man does is always right

"I like that!" exclaimed both the Englishmen together

Code: HC FTHCA 26

The Storks

The Storks

Code: HC FTHCA 27

The Ugly Duckling

The new one is the most beautiful of all

Code: HC FTHCA 28

The Shepherdess and the Chimney-Sweeper

"Have you really courage to go into the wide

World with me?" asked the Chimney-Sweeper

Code: HC FTHCA 29

The Swineherd

On the grave of the Prince's father there

grew a Rose-bush

Code: HC FTHCA 30

The Snow Queen

Those who visited the Goblin School declared

everywhere that a wonder had been wrought

Code: HC FTHCA 31

The Snow Queen

Kay and the Snow Queen

Code: HC FTHCA 32

The Snow Queen

How did you manage to come on the

great rolling river?

Code: HC FTHCA 33

The Snow Queen

He was so clever he could do mental arithmetic

up to fractions

Code: HC FTHCA 34

The Snow Queen

She is fat - she is pretty - she is fed with nut-kernels!

Code: HC FTHCA 35

The Snow Queen

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA 36

The Nightingale

The artificial bird had its place on a silken

cushion close to the Emperor's bed

Code: HC FTHCA 37

The Nightingale

"Music! Music!" cried the Emperor.

"You little precious golden bird, sing!"

Code: HC FTHCA 38

The Little Match Girl

In the brightness the old grandmother stood

Code: HC FTHCA 39

The Little Match Girl

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA 40

The Elf Hill

They danced with shawls that were woven

of mist and moonshine

Code: HC FTHCA 41

The Elf Hill

"Don't give yourselves airs," said the old man

Code: HC FTHCA 42

The Elf Hill

Monotone Illustration

(also shown with "The Marsh King's Daughter")

Code: HC FTHCA 43

The Old House

"Let me see him," said the young man

Code: HC FTHCA 44

The Old House

Monotone Illustration

Code: HC FTHCA 45

The Butterfly

They bloomed to-day, to fall off to-morrow

Code: HC FTHCA 46

The Little Sea Maid

"I know what you want," said the Sea Witch

Code: HC FTHCA 47

The Little Sea Maid

Dancing over the floor as no one had yet danced

Code: HC FTHCA 48

The Wild Swans

The whole day they flew onward through the air

Code: HC FTHCA 49

The Marsh King's Daughter

They were returning home, richly laden with spoil,

from the Gallic Coast

Code: HC FTHCA 50

The Marsh King's Daughter

He knelt down and prayed fervently

Code: HC FTHCA 51

The Marsh King's Daughter

She was once more a beauteous maiden

Code: HC FTHCA 52

The Garden of Paradise

She took the Prince by the hand and led

him into her Palace

Code: HC FTHCA 53

The Garden of Paradise

"Now we will begin our dances!" cried the fairies

Code: HC FTHCA 54

What the Moon saw

The Hindu maid

Code: HC FTHCA 54

The Year's at the Spring (1920)

A rare copy of The Year's at the Spring - an anthology of poetry compiled by Walters and illustrated by Clarke. This book was printed by Turnbull & Spears in Edinburgh and published under the auspices of George G Harrap and Company for the British market and Brentano's for the United States market.

On the left, we show our copy

retaining the original decoratively

red- and black-stamped beige

cloth cover.

The Year's at the Spring is an anthology drawing on the collective work of 32 different authors. Deliberately

selected by Walters to be conspicuously modern, as noted by Monro in the Foreword, "all except eight of its

authors are living and writing ... [and of] those eight, five died as soldiers in the European War, and are

represented mainly by what is known as 'War poetry'". Despite the timing of the anthology following closely

upon the end of World War I, the 'War poetry' genre is not the focus of the anthology, but instead, as Monro

identifies, is "about the earth itself and all the strange and lovely things that compose and inhabit it ... as a

whole, [it] is romantic, its language is simple; its philosophy is that of everyday life, and [it] is entirely

undisturbing".

Clarke's colour and mono-tone work for this commission shows significant differences from his earlier illustrations,

but remains engaging and complements the simple romantic words of the accompanying poetry.

Mono-tone illustration

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 1

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

And I shall have some peace there, for peace

comes dropping slow

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 2

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

Mono-tone illustration

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 3

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

April, April, laugh thy girlish laughter!

(Detail)

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 4

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

When we come to the end of time, to Peter sitting in State

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 5

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

I bring for you, aglint with dew,

a little lovely dream

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 6

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

With monstrous head and sickening cry and

ears like errant wings

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 7

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

All I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 8

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

... drumming up the Channel, haling prizes

in their wake

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 9

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

With a dead Hidalgo's daughter as a dower

for the dey

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 10

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

Demi-silked, dark-haired musicians

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 11

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

All time's delight hath she for narrow bed

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 12

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

She walks - the lady of my delight - a

shepherdess of sheep

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 13

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

Honour has come back, as a King, to Earth

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 14

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

Out on the wind of Time, shining and streaming

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 15

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

Moist black earthen mould; ... and high places;

footprints in the dew

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 16

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

If I had a broomstick

(Detail)

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 17

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

And the dead robed in read and sea-lilies

overhead sway when the long winds blow

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 18

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

I saw them march from Dover, long ago

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 19

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

How is your trade, Aquarius, this frosty night?

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 120

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

Give me your beads. I desire them.

No.

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 21

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

With magic key ... unlocking buds

that keep the roses

(Detail)

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 22

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

They'll set the realms of Fairyland all

dancing with delight

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 23

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

All alone, those rocks amid - one night I very

nearly did!

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 24

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

I am born of a thousand storms, and grey

with the rushing rains

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 25

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

Midst of all was a cold white face

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TYATS 26

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1923)

A rare copy of the first edition of Tales of Mystery and Imagination to include both monotone and colour illustration by Harry Clarke - published by George G Harrap and Company in 1923.

On the left, we show our copy retaining

the original black cloth cover with applied

decorative paste-down.

Tales of Mystery and Imagination is arguably the first title showing examples of Harry Clarke's chillingly darker

illustrations. The words of a contemporaneous critique from The Studio continue to described Clarke's contribution

accurately: "Never before have these marvelous tales been visually interpreted with such flesh-creeping,

brain-tainting illusions of horror, terror and the unspeakable".

The list of classic tales by Edgar Allan Poe in this collection includes: "Ms. Found in a Bottle"; "Berenice";

"Morella"; "Some Passages in the Life of a Lion (Lionizing)"; "The Assignation"; "Bon-Bon"; "King Pest";

"Metzengerstein"; "Silence"; "A Descent into the Maelstrom"; "Ligeia"; "The Fall of the House of Usher";

"William Wilson"; "The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion"; "The Man of the Crowd"; "The Murders in the

Rue Morgue"; "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt"; "The Colloquy of Monos and Una"; "The Masque of the Red Death";

"The Pit and the Pendulum"; "The Tell-Tale Heart"; "The Gold Bug"; "The Black Cat"; "The Spectacles";

"The Premature Burial"; "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar"; "The Oblong Box"; The Case of Amonstillado";

and "Landor's Cottage".

He shrieked once - once only

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TMI 1

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

Incomprehensible men! Wrapped up in meditations of a

kind which I cannot divine, they pass me by unnoticed

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TMI 2

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

The colossal waters rear their heads above us

like demons of the deep

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TMI 3

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

It was a fearful page in the record of my existence

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TMI 4

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

The Earth grew dark, and its figures passed by me, like

flitting shadows, and among the all I beheld only - Morella

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TMI 5

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

"Has no copy been taken?" he demanded,

surveying it through a microscope

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TMI 6

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

It was the Marchesa Aphrodite - the adoration

of all Venice

Provenance: An American Collector

Code: HC TMI 7

Reproduction Prices: $10 to $30*

I had myself no power to move from the upright

position I had assumed