Snowdrops

Category

Library Item

Item no

30846

Title

Snowdrops

Description

Three armed flower people. Text: 'The Snowdrops first upon the scene, While crested braved King Frost's demesne'.

Artist / maker

Crane, Walter

Date

1895

Size

25.0 x 18.0 cm

Type

Publisher's print

Location

Art and Design Library

In the Image of the Snowdrops, from Flora's Feast, we can readily see how Crane is using parts of flowers to evoke very specific types of clothing. In this case, the typical snowdrop flower forms the helmet, while smaller petals evoke something like chainmail and a skirt. Crane is playing with flowers in order to create interesting and charming images for his readers. This is noticeably different than the, 'whole pages of dense black type that were difficult to read .... [T]he pictures were crudely drawn and printed in lurid colours that publishers thought would appeal to children' (1). Crane is again making himself different than children's book authors of the previous generations and creating something that would appeal visually to children.

(1) Lesley Delany, 'Walter Crane: Promoting Visual Literacy in Nursery picture books,' Children's Book History Society Occasional Paper IX, 2011, p. 5.

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Related subjects

People > Children > Boys

Plants > Flowers > Flowers

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