Walter Crane - part 12

Walter Crane (15 August 1845 – 14 March 1915) was an English artist and book illustrator. He is considered to be the most influential, and among the most prolific, children's book creators of his generation and, along with Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway, one of the strongest contributors to the child's nursery motif that the genre of English children's illustrated literature would exhibit in its developmental stages in the later 19th century.

Crane's work featured some of the more colourful and detailed beginnings of the child-in-the-garden motifs that would characterise many nursery rhymes and children's stories for decades to come. He was part of the Arts and Crafts movement and produced an array of paintings, illustrations, children's books, ceramic tiles, wallpapers and other decorative arts. Crane is also remembered for his creation of a number of iconic images associated with the international socialist movement.

For more in-depth biographical notes see part 1, and for earlier works see parts 1 - 11 also.

This is part 12 of a 19-part series on the works of Walter Crane.

1889 Walter Crane's Painting Book published by George Routledge & Sons:

There is a black and white outline version for each illustration, for colouring-in.

1891 Queen Summer, or the Tourney of the Lily & the Rose published by Cassell & Co. Ltd:

Title Page
Queen Summer or the Tourney of the Lily & the Rose

Round Times dial thronged the hours,
Masking in the Masque of Flowers

When Summer on the earth was queen
She held her court in gardens green...

Like knights and ladies fair be-dight
In silk attire, both red and white.

And as the winds about them played
And shook the flowers or disarrayed

A whispered word among them goes
Of how the Lily flouts the Rose

Suitors for Summer’s favour dear,
 To win the crown of all the year...

Then shrill the wind-winged heralds blew
The lists were set in Summer’s view

With blazoned shields, & pennons spruce
Of fluttering flag & fleur-de-luce:

Between their banners white and red,
 Of Rose and Lily overhead...

The silver arum-trumpet’s sound
With tongues of gold, & to the ground...

Came first the glowing Rose in view,
With crimson pennon fluttering new;...

Nor long the Lily knight delayed;
In silver armour white arrayed,...

The summer winds the onset blew;
With level lance each champion flew,

And clashed together, mid a snow
Of petals on the grass below.

Pressed eager then the gazing rows;
Some cried, “the Lily”, some, “the Rose”...

Rose favoured knights of maidens true,
Their pennons blushing with each hue...

And caused the zephyr horns to blow
A truce, the victor’s crown to show...

The doughty champions could not rise
Before the Queen to claim her prize...

That men & maids be glad to see,
Always in pleasant company,

 Life & Love close linked together,
And strong to bear times’ wintry weather

Love not consumed in passion’s heart
But golden flamed & stedfast, sweet:

Time’s snows shall quench not, though they hide:
 Each spring renews the rosy tide:

Each lover in his lady's face
Sees roses blent with lilies’ grace:

The poet & & the painter praise
This heraldry of summer days;

And every garden sweet that blows
Doth set the Lily by the Rose.

Peace, then in all my borders be,
 Beneath the silvern olive tree.

Each rose, each lily’s head bent low,
And each one sought his fallen foe:

And careful hands the wounded bore,
With balm and honey to restore:

And trimmed the grass & decked each seat,
And made all fit for dancer’s feet:

Then forth each knightly lily led
A blushing rosy dame so red;

Nor lily hands or hearts denied
The rose-hued warriors erst defied.

Light-footed through the dance’s maze,
 Quick they moved like wingéd fays;...