In 'The Bases of Design' written by Crane in 1902 he includes a relief of Paris and Venus from Wilton House in Somerset with a similar composition and states Here, Crane is not only showcasing his knowledge of the antiquities but also making reference to his belief that the origin of fairy tales lay in ancient mythology. The appearance of the goddess of love, hints at the conclusion of 'The Frog Prince'. By inserting this into the picture Crane echoes the scene unfolding next to it – a promise in exchange for a golden orb. Venus promised Paris the love of any woman if he chooses her as the fairest. He is seen presenting Venus, goddess of love, with a golden apple declaring her fairer than Minerva and Juno. The seated character of Paris is distinguishable from his Phrygian cap and shepherd’s crook. The scene is the Judgement of Paris from Greek mythology. The Frog appears and offers to retrieve it but only if she’ll allow him to “.sit at thy table, eat from thy little golden plate.and sleep in thy little bed.”Ĭrane’s inclusion of the stone relief in this image doesn’t just serve aesthetic purposes. The first scene in the book, 'The Princess meets the Frog by the Fountain' (image 1), takes place just after the Princess has dropped her golden ball into the fountain. 'The Frog Prince' is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 in 'Grimm's Fairy Tales'. Each one, created around 1874, reveals something about the artist. Apparently, Crane wasn’t keen on his reputation as a child’s illustrator and often included details in his illustrations that hinted at other areas of his expertise.Īberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums have five illustrations from 'The Frog Prince', illustrated by Walter Crane in its collection. They tell us so much about the man himself: his other artistic interests, the movements he associated with and influences on his career. They are steeped in detail and it is this I am interested in. His illustrations certainly are “statements in design”. Meyer, 'A Treasury of the Great Children’s Book Illustrators' (New York: Harry N. They prefer well-defined forms and bright, frank colour.’ “Children, like the ancient Egyptians, appear to see most things in profile, and like definite statements in design. Crane was one of the most sought-after illustrators of his day because he understood what appealed to children visually. Crane (1845-1915) was typical of a Victorian polymath - artist, designer, craftsman, theorist, political activist but, most of us know him for his children's book illustrations. But the third frog still said, “I should be the chief!” And this time, the crane quietly crept behind the frog and ate the noisy frog in one gulp! MORAL OF THE STORY: IT IS NOT WISE TO BOAST LOUDLY.In his 1967 publication 'The Art Nouveau Book in Britain', John Russell Taylor described Walter Crane as “too big and unmanageable … to be fitted neatly into any single pigeon-hole". And the two frogs that had encountered the crane did not say anything. Now, the same evening, the crane was still around and was still hungry. But before the crane could gobble the fat frog, the crane saw something that let the frog escape. The crane set its eyes on the fatter one of the two. But the frog that had been caught by the crane remained silent. In the evening, the crane could still hear the frogs arguing about who should be the chief. That afternoon, the crane ate the snake for its lunch. “I’ll have to let this frog go.” The moment the crane loosened its jaw, the frog leaped away. The moment the crane was about to eat the frog, it felt a slimy thing around its leg. The frog gave a frightened croak the moment the crane caught it with its beak. Now, the crane set its eyes on one of the frogs that had been saying that he should be the chief. All the croaking frogs caught the crane’s attention. Then one day, a long legged crane came to the pond.
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