Alice Illustrations

Willy Pogany

Willy Pogány (born Vilmos Andreas Pogány) was a Hungarian book illustrator recognized by his pen and ink drawings (although also mastering warm pastels, watercolors and oil). Most of his work fits into an Art Nouveau “fairy-tale” orientated style, abundant in mythical and magic creatures. He studied art in Paris, where he struggled for two years before moving to London. In London he produced some of his masterpieces, such as the The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a major poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. During this period, Willy Pogány became a Fellow of the London Royal Society of Art and received several awards. Ten years later (in 1914), he left to the US, extending his productions to different fields, including animated movies.

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His talented illustrations are a perfect match for the wonders Alice found down the rabbit-hole. Pogány’s Alice was first published in 1929 (New York: E. P. Dutton and Company), portraying a “jazz age” young lady that become known as the “flapper Alice”.

Ada Leonora Bowley

Ada Bowley is another example of skilled Golden Age illustrator (1880s to the 1930s) that have produced a version of Alice in the Wonderland. Pook Press has celebrated this proficuous period by reproducing several books first printed at that time, including several early editions of illustrated Alices. Ada Bowley art work for Alice, dated from 1921, was also reprinted more recently by Pook Press.

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Bowley was an illustrator of children books, producing complex and beautifully coloured images. The original book was a “Come to Life” Panorama unfolding edition, where no credit is given to the illustrator (A. Bowley). Raphael Tuck later published a full book displaying a beautiful pop-up composition and many colour and black and white illustrations, where Ada is finally recognised as the illustrator (she worked for Raphael Tuck as a postcard illustrator and designer for years).

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Charles Robinson

Robinson’s Alice was printed in 1907 when Carroll’s text came into the public domain. Along with it, two full hands of other Alice versions were also published in 1907, contributing to justify why this was the “Golden Age of Illustration”. Robison was a creative illustrator, almost every page of his Alice in the Wonderland contains fascinating full-page drawings or beautiful colour plates, showing unusual inventive page layouts. I am not sure what is more impressive in this book… the colour plates, the black-and-white work, or the many narrow vignettes running through the text.

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Charles Robinson was born in London (Islington) in 1870, he took night lessons in illustration, while working during the day. Due to his early unfortunate financial condition, he was not able to accept a place at the Royal Academy. However, his highly productive career granted him a place at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, one of the societies in the Federation of British Artists (Mall Galleries, London).

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Alice in the Wonderland, illustrated by Charles Robinson, printed in 1907 by Cassel (there is also a recent edition from Pook Press, 2013).

Benjamin Lacombe

Lacombe offers a subversive version of Alice. This French illustrator celebrated the 150 years of Alice with a magnificent piece of surrealist fantasy. Of note, Lacombe also wrote many of his illustrated works, which are clearly intended for a more adult audience. He obtained his degree in Paris, at “L´École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs”, and represents a new and great generation of French illustrators. His production can be consulted here.

Published in 2017 by Soleil.

Eleonora Mann…

These were the first illustrations of Alice after Tenniel. Interestingly enough, these illustrations were incorrectly attributed to Eleonora Mann, who in fact translated Carroll´s book to the Dutch version. The real identity of the illustrator of “Alice in het land der droomen”, printed in Amsterdam in 1887 by BH Smit, is still unknown…

CARROLL: ALICE, 1890. Illustration by Eleonora Mann for Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's

Anna Bond

Trained as a graphic designer, Anna Bond initially hesitated between following her passion in for illustration and a career in print design. She end up soon discovering a lifelong love for stationery. She is the co-founder and CCO of the very successful Rifle Paper Co, which she started at the age of 23! If you check her portfolio you will find a beautiful collection of notebooks, cards, patterns and hand-painted items. Using her vibrant patterns and colours, Anna Bond illustrated another amazing Alice’ book. Based on this colourfully upside-down Alice world, she created also a whole fabric collection!

Deluxe hardcover edition from Puffin. The completely unabridged book
features more than 70 full-colour illustrations, gold foil embellished
covers, and ornate endpaper designs. Published in October 2015.

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Justin Todd

Justin Todd is a British historical illustrator that also contributed with a lot of relevant work for children’s books. Of note, he produced the early illustrations of ‘Penny Lane’ in the Beatles Song Book. In the 60’s, he was a tutor at the Brighton College of Art just like John Vernon Lord.Of note, he produced the early illustrations of ‘Penny Lane’ in the Beatles Song Book. His artwork is impressively detailed, and his Alice illustrations, which very much resemble Alice Liddell, are certainly worth seeing. His work is conducted in a meticulous way, using extremely fine gouache painting, slowly covering his page in a detailed preplanned grid.

Published by Gollancz, 1984 (First edition hardback with dustjacket)

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Robi Dwi Antono

Part of a special Inky Parrot commemorative edition, Robi Dwi Antono illustrations are likely the most disturbing Alice interpretation ever published. Roby Dwi Antono is a young Indonesian surreal artist, that creates an astonishing mix of candid-terrifying figures, apparently deeply rooted on Carroll´s Alice in the Wonderland. Robi Dwi, however, refers to his work as “heavily influenced by masters like Mark Ryden and Marion Peck”. A visit to Rosie’s Tea Party (Mark Ryden) or Marion Peck’s Animals exhibition easily confirms that.

Inky Parrot/Artists’ Choice Editions in the UK, in the “Mad Tea Party” chapter, 2015. (Only 340 standard copies printed, numbered and casebound and 56 Special copies, bound quarter leather with a folder containing four prints portraying Alice).

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Andrea D’Aquino

This is likely one of the most beautiful contemporary illustrations of Alice’s adventures. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Carroll’s book, Andrea D’Aquino has retold the story with hundred of colorful astonishing illustrations. As commented elsewhere “D’ Aquino illustrative ramblings run the gamut from watercolor to collage to everything in between, and it’s perhaps because of this cataclysmic range that she was chosen to illustrate this fantastic tale”.

Awarded by American Illustration 2016, D´Aquino said “It’s my favorite book, but by no means had I ever considered illustrating it” – however – “when I was asked to illustrate it, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I know a great opportunity when it hits me over the head!”

The result could’t have been better…

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“The Caterpillar, perhaps the most psychedelic, explodes in reds and purples.”

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Published as part of Rockport Publishers’ Classics Reimagined series (2015).

Alfred Edward Jackson

AE Jackson was born in 1873. He was an exceptional and awarded student at the Camden School of Art, at the age of 18 his work was already in exhibition at the Royal Academy.

He started is long career as an illustrator of well known magazines and comics, and only a few years later has he produced his unforgettable and bestseller versions of Gulliver’s Travels (1914), Alice’s Adventures (1915), Tales From Shakespeare (1919), The Water Babies (1920), Tales from the Arabian Nights (1920) and Robinson Crusoe (1921).

His dazzling purples, pinks and muted blues gave live to an extraordinary Alice.

(first published by Hoddern and Stoughton and by Milford in 1915)