Arthur Rackham — 34 Children and a Queen (1891)

Fantastic pen and ink piece by master illustrator Arthur Rackham, published in Pall Mall magazine (London) in 1891, in celebration of the birth of Queen Victoria’s 34th grandchild, and representing the Queen as the Old Woman in the Shoe. This is an early Rackham, drawn when he was just 24 years old. During this period, Rackham was illustrating for many of the English magazines of the day. It would be another three years before Rackham would start illustrating books and developing the techniques and style that made him a household name and arguably the greatest children’s book illustrator who ever lived. That said, you can see Rackham’s early brilliance in this piece — great linework, imagery, and whimsy. Art is a nice size (11” x 9”), with a bold signature at the bottom right.