The golden age of illustration was a period of unprecedented skill and evolution in the field of illustration between the 1880's and 1920's. Illustration had existed since the earliest civilisations but did not exist as a trade until the mid-nineteenth century. This was caused by a number of factors including the growth of satire, the increase of printing production, the increase of availability of publications (which was itself caused by a number of factors including the introduction of compulsory education and the introduction of new printing technology.) Although Illustration was now a recognised trade it would not be recognised as a profession until the mid-20th century at which time education and training was offered to aspiring illustrators.
Influences
Medieval
During the golden age of illustration society was fascinated with the medieval period. This influenced many fields including architecture, design and literature. This also led to the revival of many forgotten techniques such as medieval illumination and hand printing which was popularised by William Morris.
Influences
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| 'The Glittering Plain' by William Morris http://thetextileblog.blogspot.com/2012/09 /william-morris-and-art-of-printing.html |
During the golden age of illustration society was fascinated with the medieval period. This influenced many fields including architecture, design and literature. This also led to the revival of many forgotten techniques such as medieval illumination and hand printing which was popularised by William Morris.
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| 'Golden Head by Golden Head' - Rosetti http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ speel/pici/rosset5.jpg |
Pre-Raphaelites
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was created in 1848 to develop a naturalistic style of art by abandoning the rules and conventions that were drilled into artists heads. They considered Raphael to the artist who came closest to perfection and students were encouraged to learn by mimicking his work rather than nature itself. The pre-Raphaelites raised the standard for illustration and gave inspiration to the generations that followed. This particular movement has been described by Dr. Paul Goldman as "...an era when the art of illustration was recognised by a number of distinguished artists as being as valuable and serious an occupation as painting in oils."
The Aesthetic Movement
In very stark contrast to the pre-Raphaelites was the Aesthetic movement which rejected many of the conventions which founded the pre-Raphaelite movement including the medieval influence. The Aesthetic movement was about creating something modern and looking for, relishing in and creating beauty whenever conceivable. Reading was central to their philosophy and so they wanted their books illustrations and over all designs to be as beautiful as possible and achieved this by sacrificing reality.
The popularisation of children's books led to women being accepted into the arts which had been and exclusively male field up until this point. The success of Kate Greenaway in particular made publishers aware of the important role women could play in their industry. Not long later, by 1890, illustration had moved to the forefront of the creative landscape in both Europe and America. Because of this there was a need to evolve and move forward and so the west turned to Japan for inspiration. They eventually started trading woodblock prints which greatly interested our artists and their influence became instantly recognisable. The Japanese attitude towards sexuality in their art was also influential and led to an underground pornography scene in Britain. Because of Japan and Art Nouveau, art was experiencing a freedom which hadn't been available for a long time.
Art Nouveau
The origins of art nouveau lie in the arts and crafts movement popularised by William Morris. It is an elegant decorative art style characterized by curving lines and intricate patterns. It became popular across Europe as well as the United States and lasted from the late 19th century until the time of world war 1 at which point it was phased out and replaced by art deco.
Vienna Secession
Founded in 1897 by Gustav Klimt among others. There was not one style that united secessionism. They concerned themselves with exploring art outside the confines of academic tradition. Experimentation was very important to the movement and as such it became influenced by Art Nouveau and Japanese art.
Christmas
The 1890's brought with it the introduction of many of the Christmas traditions we know today. Cards and Christmas stories provided an entirely new market for illustrators and the tradition of getting children gifts led to the vast increase in children's books. The market for which wanted fantastical lands and characters in their stories. Soon illustrators were finding work in books based on German fairy tales, Greek tragedies and Nordic and Viking sagas. As the world moved closer to WW1 movements based on creativity such as Art Nouveau and the Vienna secession died out and illustrators could only be truly free and imaginative in children's books.
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| 'May Day' -Kate Greenaway http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Kate_Greenaway#mediaviewer/ File:Kate_Greenaway_-_May_day.jpg |
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| 'The Great Wave of Kanagawa' - Katsushika Hokusai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa #mediaviewer/File:Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa2.jpg |
The origins of art nouveau lie in the arts and crafts movement popularised by William Morris. It is an elegant decorative art style characterized by curving lines and intricate patterns. It became popular across Europe as well as the United States and lasted from the late 19th century until the time of world war 1 at which point it was phased out and replaced by art deco.
Vienna Secession
Founded in 1897 by Gustav Klimt among others. There was not one style that united secessionism. They concerned themselves with exploring art outside the confines of academic tradition. Experimentation was very important to the movement and as such it became influenced by Art Nouveau and Japanese art.
Christmas
The 1890's brought with it the introduction of many of the Christmas traditions we know today. Cards and Christmas stories provided an entirely new market for illustrators and the tradition of getting children gifts led to the vast increase in children's books. The market for which wanted fantastical lands and characters in their stories. Soon illustrators were finding work in books based on German fairy tales, Greek tragedies and Nordic and Viking sagas. As the world moved closer to WW1 movements based on creativity such as Art Nouveau and the Vienna secession died out and illustrators could only be truly free and imaginative in children's books.
Information taken from - http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/index.html
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