Walter Crane

Pencil, Ink and watercolor. Double-page spread for A Floral Fantasy in an Old English Garden (pp. 28/29; London: Harper & Brothers, 1899). Each panel measures 8-1/2 x 6-1/2 inches.

Walter Crane (1845-1915) was one of the triumvirates, together with Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway, who were early proponents of children’s picture books and very influential in the development of English children’s literature during the second half of the 19th century. Working for Edmund Evans in 1864, Crane began producing bright and colorful picture books which revolutionized the genre and a popular format for decades. His work is considered one of the strongest examples of Art Nouveau nursery illustrations.