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Edmund Dulac: 17 Classic Illustrated Books

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Edmund Dulac (1882-1953) is one of the great artists associated with the Golden Age of Illustration.

Dulac displayed an artistic interest from an early age, with his favourite medium - watercolours - being established in his teenage years. Typically, Dulac's early illustrations for fairy tales from Scheherazadè, Shakespeare, Andersen and Stawell do not rely upon an ink line to hold the colour as he approached the relatively new colour printing medium as a coloured ink drawing.

Just prior to Dulac's first commissioned work at the age of 22, the colour separation process had been perfected and ink lines bounding the colour to hide misregistration were no longer necessary. As Dulac was primarily a painter, he used that new technology's ability to reproduce exact tones to let the colour hold shapes and define objects.

In 1913, the mellow, romantic blues that Dulac had tended towards a brighter palette and more oriental style that characterised his interpretation of fairy tales, myths and legend for the remainder of his life.

Join us in exploring the wonderful work of Edmund Dulac through this lens - and if you would like to read more or view his suites for particular books, visit the Edmund Dulac Collection shown at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"Stories from The Arabian Nights" (1907)

Dulac's illustrations to ''Stories from The Arabian Nights'' (1907) masterfully capture the fantastic elements of the tales through a combination of brilliantly coloured characters and soft, impressionistic backgrounds while in other scenes, a brooding and mysterious atmosphere is created through the use of a darker palette. His suite for that commission included 50 colour illustrations.

The collection of stories illustrated in ''Stories from The Arabian Nights'' (1907) include: 'The Fisherman and the Genie'; 'The Story of the King of the Ebony Isles'; 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'; 'The Story of the Magic Horse'; 'The Story of the Wicked Half-Brothers'; and 'The Story of the Princess of Deryabar'.

This image depicts a scene from 'The Fisherman and the Genie' and is associated with the following text: "And there in its midst stood a mighty Genie".

To view Dulac's 50 colour designs from "Stories from The Arabian Nights" (1907), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"The Tempest" (1908)

''The Tempest'' - by William Shakespeare - weaves a tale around themes as diverse as betrayal, sorcery and witchcraft, spiritual forces revenge and forgiveness - themes which revolve around the central character, Prospero. Prospero is the sorceror who, prior to being stranded on an island after being betrayed by his brother, had been the rightful Duke of Milan. After twelve years stranded with his daughter, Miranda, a spirit companion, Ariel and a deformed monster, Caliban, Prospero has the opportunity to wreck a passing boat carrying his brother by conjuring a tempest to drive the vessel to annihilation - and thereafter begins Prospero's journey towards reconciliation with his brother and the return to Italy through his magical powers of all those who came hence.

Dulac's sumptuous suite of illustrations - including 40 colour images - for ''The Tempest'' (1908) are a superb companion to Shakespeare's magical words.

This image is associated with the following text: "Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes and groves".

To view Dulac's 40 colour designs from "The Tempest" (1908), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

'''Rubáiyat of Omar Khayyám'' (1909)

'''Rubáiyat of Omar Khayyám'' (1909) was based upon a translation of the original composition by the mid-11th Century Iranian astronomer, mathematician and poet - Ghiyathuddin Abulfath Omar bin Ibrahim Al-Khayyami. Fitgerald's Victorian-era adaptation of the original work was based upon his own translation of a Persian manuscript held by the Bodleian Library.

The consistent message of the tale - namely, to live life to the fullest whilst enjoying a drop or more of wine - became the inspiration for many Victorian-era artists, including Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley.

The illustrations prepared by Dulac - including 20 colour images - have been arranged in reference to the Fitzgerald translation of this epic poem (that translation is known to date from 1868).

This image is associated with the 36th Quatrain.

To view Dulac's 20 colour designs from "Rubáiyat of Omar Khayyám" (1909), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"Stories from Hans Andersen" (1911)

The First Edition of '''Stories from Hans Andersen'' (1911) published by Hodder and Stoughton with illustrations by Dulac included a sumptuous suite of 28 large format colour images.

Those illustrations accompanied 7 tales by the Danish author, including: 'The Snow Queen'; 'The Nightingale'; 'The Real Princess'; 'The Garden of Paradise'; 'The Mermaid'; 'The Emperor's New Clothes'; and 'The Wind's Tale'.

This image is associated with the following text from 'The Snow Queen': "The Snow Queen sat in the very middle of it when she sat at home".

To view Dulac's 28 colour designs from "Stories from Hans Andersen" (1911), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

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"My Days with the Fairies" (1911)

The illustrations by Dulac published in Stawell's "My Days with the Fairies" (1911) are light-hearted and full of whimsy. As such, they suit the tone of Stawell's tales perfectly.

For that commission, Dulac prepared a suite of 8 colour illustrations and a number of monotone images.

This illustration is associated with the following text from 'Princess Orchid's Party': "She smiled at him very graciously when he was introduced to her".

To view Dulac's 8 colour designs from "My Days with the Fairies" (1911), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"The Bells and Other Poems" (1912)

The deluxe presentation of Dulac's illustrations to "The Bells and Other Poems" (1912) contains many stunning images befitting the unique works of Poe. The images are watercolours, but were treated by Dulac with a variety of methods - including overstreaking with gilt or crayon - to produce the rich haunting effects that are clear throughout.

Dulac's suite for this publication includes 28 colour illustrations.

This image accompanies Poe's 'Israfel'.

To view Dulac's 28 colour designs from "The Bells and Other Poems" (1912), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"Coloring the Ages" (Volume One)

A journey through the history of print-making in the West

"The Bells" by Edmund Dulac (1912) - shown below - is one of the twenty major illustrations featured in the first volume of "Coloring the Ages".
Edmund Dulac - The Bellw
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"Princess Badoura" (1913)

"Princess Badoura" (1913) is one of Laurence Housman's retelling of a classic tale attributed to Scheherezade - daughter of the Grand Vizier to Sultan Shahriar (and also wife to the Sultan). Within this tale, Housman transmits the story of Badoura, who rules in her husband's stead while he undertakes a series of adventures. Upon his return, Badoura consents to her Prince taking another wife.

Dulac mixes Oriental and Orientalist influences to create a gorgeous suite of illustrations including 10 colour images.

This illustration is associated with the following text from 'Dahnash and Meymooneh': "As she rose up through clouds there passed one she knew by his tail to be Dahnash".

To view Dulac's 10 colour designs from "Princess Badoura" (1913), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"Sindbad the Sailor and Other Stories from The Arabian Nights" (1914)

The deluxe presentation of Dulac's illustrations to "Sindbad the Sailor and Other Stories from The Arabian Nights" (1914) was published by Hodder & Stoughton (engraved and printed by Henry Stone & Son, Limited [Banbury]). For the First Edition, Dulac's 23 wonderful colour illustrations were mounted as tipped-in plates within ornamental black- and gold-stamped borders.

Tales appearing within "Sindbad the Sailor and Other Stories from The Arabian Nights" (1914) include: 'Sindbad the Sailor'; 'Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp'; 'The Story of the Three Calenders'; and 'The Sleeper Awakened'.

Stylistically, Dulac approached the illustrations with a mix of themes inspired from the Near and Far East. It makes for a wonderful suite of images.

This image is associated with 'The Story of the Three Calenders' and is accompanied by the following descriptive text: "The Princess burns the Efrite to death".

To view Dulac's 23 colour designs from "Sindbad the Sailor and Other Stories from The Arabian Nights" (1914), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"Edmund Dulac's Picture Book for the French Red Cross" (1915)

''Edmund Dulac's Picture Book for the French Red Cross" (1915) was produced as a vehicle for securing funds for the wartime activity of the the Croix Rouge Française, Comité de Londres (The London Committee of The French Red Cross).

The book included 17 tales: 'The Story of the Bird Feng: A Fairy Tale from China'; 'Young Rouselle: A French Song of the Olden Time'; 'Laylá and Majnún: A Persian Love Story'; 'The Nightingale: After a Fairy Tale by Hans Andersen'; 'Three Kings of Orient: A Carol'; 'Sindbad the Sailor: A Tale from the Thousand and One Nights'; 'The Little Seamstress: A French Song of the Olden Time'; 'The Real Princess: After a Fairy Tale by Hans Andersen'; 'My Lisette: An Old French Song'; 'Cinderella: A Fairy Tale from the French'; 'The Chilly Lover: A Song from the French'; 'The Story of Aucassin and Nicolette: An Old World Idyll'; 'Blue Beard: An Old Tale from the French'; 'Cerberus, the Black Dog of Hades'; 'The Lady Badoura: A Tale from the Thousand and One Nights'; 'The Sleeper Awakened: A Tale from the Thousand and One Nights'; and 'Jusef and Asenath: A Love Story of Egypt'. In addition, the book contained 19 colour illustrations contributed by Edmund Dulac.

This image is associated with the following text from 'Laylá and Majnún: A Persian Love Story': "She would sit for hours, with the bird perched on the back of her hand, listening to its soft intonation of that one word 'Majnún'".

To view Dulac's 19 colour designs from "Edmund Dulac's Picture Book for the French Red Cross" (1915), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"The Dreamer of Dreams" (1915)

"The Dreamer of Dreams" is a wonderful work of fantasy composed by Marie Alexandra Victoria (formerly Princess Marie of Edinburgh), the then-Queen of Roumania.

It tells the tale of wanderings of Eric Gundian - an artist to the Court of the great Northern King, Wanda - after he has been enchanted by a dream. Through the course of his wanderings, Eric finds his enchantress - Stella - only to lose her in the moment of their first passionate embrace. Heartbroken, but still enchanted, Eric returns to the Court of King Wanda to finalise his masterpiece with his own final breath. Miracles follow and Stella's final resting place becomes venerated as Holy Ground.

Dulac's illustrations for "The Dreamer of Dreams" - including 6 colour images - are a superb accompaniment to the spiritual fantasy explored throughout this wonderful story.

This image is associated with the following text: "Everything about her was white, glistening and shining".

To view Dulac's 6 colour designs from "The Dreamer of Dreams" (1915), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"Edmund Dulac's Fairy-Book" (1916)

"Edmund Dulac's Fairy-Book" is another of Dulac's wonderful war-time productions. In this case, Dulac personally selected the tales and prepared the text - in addition to his wonderful illustrations. For the French Edition later published by Piazza, he also prepared the French translation.

Tales included in "Edmund Dulac's Fairy-Book" are: 'Snegorotchka: A Russian Fairy Tale'; 'The Buried Moon: An English Fairy Tale'; 'White Caroline and Black Caroline: A Flemish Fairy Tale'; 'The Seven Conquerors of the Queen of the Mississippi: A Belgian Fairy Tale'; 'The Serpent Prince: An Italian Fairy Tale'; 'The Hind of the Wood: A French Fairy Tale'; 'Ivan and the Chestnut Horse: A Russian Fairy Tale'; 'The Queen of the Many-Coloured Bedchamber: An Irish Fairy Tale'; 'The Blue Bird: A French Fairy Tale'; 'Bashtchelik; or, Real Steel: A Serbian Fairy Tale'; 'The Friar and the Boy: An English Fairy Tale'; 'The Green Serpent: A French Fairy Tale'; 'Urashima Taro: A Japanese Fairy Tale'; and 'The Fire Bird: A Russian Fairy Tale'.

Dulac's text and 15 colour illustrations appearing in the First Edition are wonderful.

This image is associated with the following text from 'The Fire Bird: A Russian Fairy Tale': "There he found the Princess asleep and saw that her face was the face he had seen in the portrait".

To view Dulac's 15 colour designs from "Edmund Dulac's Fairy-Book" (1916), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"The Stealers of Light" (1916)

"The Stealers of Light" was a further tale from Marie, Queen of Roumania. As noted previously, Dulac had contributed illustrations to another of her books - "The Dreamer of Dreams" - that had been published the previous year.

On this occasion, two illustrations from Dulac were published in the First Edition.

This illustration is associated with the following text: "The light she had thought to extinguish had escaped from her dying hands and floated always farther across the desert, shedding its marvelous radiance over rock and stone".

To view Dulac's 2 colour designs from "The Stealers of Light" (1916), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"Tanglewood Tales" (1918)

"Tanglewood Tales" presents a selection of ancient Greek myths as retold for children by the 19th Century American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864). As arranged in the version illustrated by Dulac, Hawthorne's tales are entitled: 'The Minotaur'; 'The Pygmies'; 'The Dragon's Teeth'; 'Circe's Palace'; 'The Pomegranate Seeds'; and 'The Golden Fleece'.

The treatment provided to Hawthorne's tales by Dulac is superb. Quite unlike other of his contemporaries who contributed illustrations to versions of Tanglewood Tales - such as Arthur Rackham and Maxfield Parrish - Dulac has blended the aesthete of the high Art Nouveau with influences directly from ancient Greek art to produce a set of stunning images that includes 14 colour illustrations.

This image is associated with the following text from 'The Pomegranate Seeds': "On went the chariot, and King Pluto seemed greatly pleased to find himself once more in his own kingdom".

To view Dulac's 14 colour designs from "Tanglewood Tales" (1918), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"The Kingdom of the Pearl" (1920)

The literary work of Parisian jeweler, Léonard Rosenthal, "The Kingdom of the Pearl" - in its illustrated form - first appeared in 1920 after the author commissioned Edmund Dulac to undertake illustration and design work for the book.

A total of 1,550 copies of the illustrated variant of "The Kingdom of the Pearl" (192) were produced for the English-speaking world - 775 each for the British market (by Nisbet and Co.) and the later edition for the United States of America (Brentano's).

"The Kingdom of the Pearl" is considered Dulac's illustrated book masterpiece and includes 10 colour illustrations. His suite of images displays a style matured fully following development through previous titles including Tanglewood Tales. It is a style that draws on influences including those of Persian miniatures, but one that Dulac made his own entirely.

This illustration is known as "The Pearl of the Warrior".

To view Dulac's 10 colour designs from "The Kingdom of the Pearl" (1920), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"A Fairy Garland" (1928)

"A Fairy Garland" includes tales by Charles Perrault, Mme d'Aulnot and Count Anthony Hamilton, namely: 'The Fairy Song'; 'Riquet with the Tuft'; 'Puss in Boots'; 'Bablet'; 'Green Dragon'; 'Fortunata'; 'The Blue Bird'; 'Princess Rosetta'; and 'Mayblossom'.

The 1928 First Edition of "A Fairy Garland", as illustrated by Edmund Dulac, included 12 colour illustrations.

This image is entitled, "The Fairy Song".

To view Dulac's 12 colour designs from "A Fairy Garland" (1928), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"Gods and Mortals in Love" (1935)

Williamson's "Gods and Mortals in Love" (1935) includes 11 tales from Greek myths: 'Aphrodite and Adonis'; 'Selene and Endymion'; 'Pluto and Persephone'; 'Psyche and Cerberus'; 'Pan and Syrinx'; 'Zeus and Europa'; 'Orpheus and Eurydice'; 'Circe and Odysseus'; 'Jason and Medea'; 'Herakles and Deianeira'; and 'Perseus and Andromeda'.

Dulac's 9 colour illustrations published in "Gods and Mortals in Love" (1935) are wonderful examples of his later high Art Nouveau style. The composition of the images is striking and the illustrations have been crafted exquisitely.

This image is known as 'Perseus and Andromeda'.

To view Dulac's 9 colour designs from "Gods and Mortals in Love" (1935), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

"The Daughters of the Stars" (1939)

"The Daughters of the Stars" (1939) was a tale written by Mary Crary to inspire girls - and mothers - through narrative describing the fantastic journey of Perdita and Astrella that was similar to traditionally styled fairytales. In this tale, however, Perdita (Astrellas's) mother was not dispatched within the first lines, but accompanied her daughter throughout the magnificent tale.

Dulac contributions to illustrating Crary's tale were restricted to just two colour illustrations and marginal monotone designs (including the Title Page).

This image is associated with the following text: "'Good-bye, Astrella! Good-bye, Perdita!' they called".

To view Dulac's 2 colour designs from "The Daughters of the Stars" (1939), click on this image to see the display at the 'Spirit of the Ages' Museum.

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Please leave your comments

  • adamfrench Oct 15, 2011 @ 9:14 am | delete
    Impressive lens, thumbs up
  • jptanabe Aug 14, 2011 @ 10:01 am | delete
    Great job on the illustrations of Edmund Dulac. Blessed by a SquidAngel on the Back to School Bus Trip
  • TruthKeeper Aug 14, 2011 @ 5:06 pm | delete
    Thanks for the positive comment - it is lovely to read that the work of Dulac continues to be appreciated.
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