DECADENT ILLUSTRATORS

SERIES OVERVIEW:

     

    This series attempts to showcase material by artists whose work might be described as 'decadent' in its style or subject matter.
    It does not intend to give anything other than the briefest of biographical overviews (though references for such are given within each entry). It instead aims to present a short selection of illustrations  which are either typical of the artists work or  perhaps illustrate a text or theme that falls within the remit of the series.
    We welcome suggestions or contributions to this ongoing series.

HARRY CLARKE

    INTRODUCTION

     Harry Clarke (1899-1931) surely needs little in the way of introduction but it is worth noting that he was primarily a stained glass designer in the spirit of Arts and Crafts Movement. However he is probably best known for his book illustrations, especially those for Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1923) many of which are reproduced on the excellent blog Journey Round My Skull here.
     That hard monotone style is very different from the more rarely seen illustrations reproduced below which are from the 'Selected Poems' of Algernon Swinburne (The Bodley Head 1928) - the last book he completed before his death. Please note that the two illustrations 'The Masque Of Queen Bersabe' were originally placed as a double page spread but are two separate images and thus I was unable to photoshop them together.

HARRY CLARKE


 ILLUSTRATIONS FROM


'SELECTED POEMS'

 BY ALGERNON SWINBURNE

(THE BODLEY HEAD 1928) 

'Felice'

 'Faustine'

'The Masque Of Queen Bersabe' (left hand panel)

'The Masque Of Queen Bersabe' (right hand panel)

'The Leper'

'The Weary Wedding'

 
'The Complaint Of The Fair Armouress'

 'St. Dorothy'

 'Satia Te Sanguine'

'Hymn To Prosperine'

'Hesperia'