Walter Crane - part 18

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 - 17 also.

This is part 18 of a 19-part series on the works of Walter Crane. 

1909 Flowers from Shakespeare's Garden published by Cassell & Co., London:

End Paper

Title Page

O Proserpina, For the flowers now, that, frighted, thou lett'st fall
From Dis's wagon!

daffodils, That come before the swallow dares. and take
The winds of March with beauty:

Violets, dim
But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes

Or Cytherea's breath;

pale primroses
That die unmarried, ere they can behold
Bright Phœbus in his strength, a malady
Most incident to maids;

bold oxlips, and

The crown imperial;

lilies of all kinds,

The flower-de-luce being one!

- Here's flowers for you;

Hot lavender,

mints,

savorie, marjoram;

The marigold that goes to bed with the sun,
And with him rises weeping;

The fairest flowers o' the season
Are our carnations,

She went to the garden for parsley

Their lips were four red roses on a stalk,
Which in their summer beauty kissed each other

Enter Ophelia
fantastically dressed with straws and flowers.

There's Rosemary
that's for remembrance;

- and there is pansies
that's for thoughts.

There's fennel for you,

and columbines:

- there's rue for you; and here's some for me:
- we may call it, herb-grace o' Sundays:-

- There's a daisy:-

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,-

Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine.

With sweet musk roses.

and with eglantine.

"Ceres, most bounteous lade, thy rich lees
Of wheat, rye, barley."

Allons! allons! sowed cockle reap'd no corn.

" The azured harebell, like thy veins."

" Larksheels trim"

"Get you some of this distilled Carduus Benedictus
and lay it to your heart;-..."

"The female ivy so
Enrings the barky fingers of the elm"

"The strawberry grows underneath the nettle,
And wholesome berries thrive and ripen best
Neighboured by fruit of baser quality"

"Gives not the hawthorne-bush a sweeter shade
To shepherds looking on their sill sheep,..."

"If reasons were as plentiful as blackberries"

"Heigh-ho! sing heigh-ho! unto green holly"

'Prerogative of age, crowns, sceptres, laurels.'

1911 King Arthur's Knights published by Frederick A. Stokes Co.

Frontispiece
Young Owen appeals to the King

Title Page

Arthur draws the Sword from the Stone

Beaumains wins the fight at the Ford

King Arthur asks The Lady of the Lake for the sword Excaliber

Perceval obtains the Shield of the Beating Heart

Sir Bedivere throwing Excalibur into the lake

Sir Galahad is brought to the Court of King Arthur

Sir Lancelot forbids Sir Bors to slay the King

The fight in the Queen's Ante-Chamber

Young Owen appeals ti the King

Young Percival questions Sir Owen