Harry Clarke was Ireland's greatest stained-glass artist and an illustrator of genius, whose works have been collector's items for decades. Over his short lifetime he produced a plethora of elaborate designs that have been a source of endless fascination and inspiration. In this collection, 30 of his most famous designs have been redrawn in black and white to create intricate pictures, ideal for testing the bounds of your imagination. Suitable for children.

Irish artist Harry Clarke (1889-1931) brought to life many characters and scenes of classic literature in the early twentieth century, during the golden age of book illustration. Clarke's first published book illustrations (Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen, 1916) garnered high praise and prompted further commissions. His often darkly theatrical interpretations of the art nouveau style-on paper and in stained glass-feature elongated figures fashioned with intricate patterns, fine detail, and refined line work.Clarke learned the stained-glass trade in his youth, working at his father's decorating business and studying at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. He was praised as a genius-"Ireland's only great Symbolist," according to one critic. Although he struggled with poor health for much of his brief life and died from tuberculosis at age forty-one, Clarke was prolific and left behind a legacy of artistic excellence; his oeuvre continues to fascinate audiences to this day. This colouring book features a selection of fifty black-and-white illustrations published in early twentieth-century books in the collection of the British Library: Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe, Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault, and The Year's at the Spring: An Anthology of Recent Poetry compiled by Lettice D'Oyly Walters.

Strangest genius

Soft cover book with staple binding. 48 pages with 22 images to color. Size: 8 x 11 in. Coloring pages are blank on the back so they can be cut out and displayed.

Dark Beauty focuses on the minute detail in Harry Clarke’s stained-glass windows, particularly in the borders and lower panels of his work. Clarke’s brilliance as a graphic artist is clearly visible in his book illustrations, which are imbued with precise attention to intricate designs, and he applied the same lavish focus to every facet of his stained glass. The title ‘Dark Beauty’ refers to the duality of Clarke’s work that sees delicate angels juxtaposed with macabre, grotesque figures, and represents the partially hidden details that dwell in the background of his windows – motifs, accessories, flora, fauna and diminutive characters – which may be missed in light of the dominance of the central subjects. The authors spent many years photographing Clarke’s windows in Ireland, England, America and Australia, and the resulting 60,000 photos have been carefully whittled down to 500 glorious images. Dark Beauty will provide lovers of Clarke’s stained glass with the opportunity to view previously obscured or unnoticed details in all their unique beauty and inspire their own travels to view Clarke’s work.

HARRY CLARKE (1889-1931) was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts movement and is best known for his stained glass designs and book illustrations. This collection concentrates on his work for various published books. His psychedelic with a hint of the grotesque black and white line work incorporated the most detailed and intricate textures. His distinctive style established him as one of the leading illustrators of the early 20th century. His first published work was 'Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. A number of commissions followed including among others 'The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault', Goethe's 'Faust' and probably his best known work for Poe's 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination'. This superb compilation features over 120 examples of Clarke's colour paintings and black and white pen work, mostly full page. A comprehensive collection that is certain to delight lovers of the great artists from the 'Golden Age' of illustration.

Stained glass, Symbolism, Decadence, Celtic mysticism, Art Nouveau and the Ballets Russes - all these elements claim a place in the definition of Harry Clarke. Born a century ago, this Dublin artist, son of an English father and an Irish mother, worked intensely at his art, as if conscious that death would overtake him at an early age. Clarke is now recognized internationally as a bizarre genius of his age, as the Irish Beardsley. This is the story of a questing soul with a complex imagination who produced prolifically and with outstanding originality. His skill and vision has not been equaled and this book is based on a study which won the 1984 CINOA Art History Laureate and is richly illustrated, bringing the range and importance of Clarke's work to general attention.