Myth

For many areas of the world, this is a great time to get out into nature without intense heat or sun making the trip harder. Even a five minute rush around the block can be worth the feeling! I often get this feeling from art and from reading. The picture above is by illustrator Margaret Evans Price [1888-1973] from Jack and the Giant Beanstalk; it can be found in the 1930 Once upon a time book [here] of fairy tales, edited by Katharine Lee Bates. It's important to be sure that children are exposed to beauty at a young age. The white deer above is actually the beautiful Duke's daughter under a spell--who he saves and who wears a crown wreath of pink hawthorn blossoms.

For kids or people wanting to have a nice, simple time, reading Walter Crane's book with illustrations The Frog Prince and other stories here is well worth it for the illustrations alone; there's even Aladdin.

Many illustrators are the equal of great artists like the famous Erte, Beardsley, Barbier, Bakst and the later Edward Gorey in drawing especially. While artists often did children's books in the past, they used to do much more. Art used to be on the cover of most magazines and in other literary arenas.

People to check out are the Russian Ivan Bilibin (Ива́н Били́бин) [1876-1942] - I love his eerie Vasilisa and his take on Russian myth's sphinx-like alkonost monster; be sure to see Vasnetsov's gorgeous painting of them here.

Try looking at Katherine Cameron's [1874-1965] work, or even William Robert Symonds [1851-1934],

One neat American Impressionist to try who lived his life mostly in France is Frederick Carl Frieseke [1874-1939], for anyone who prefers or enjoys that style.