Howard Pyle: A Record of His Illustrations and Writings [Hardcover]

Howard Pyle (Author), Willard S. Morse (Compiler), Gertrude Brinckle (Compiler)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2004 | ISBN-10: 1578984386 | ISBN-13: 978-1578984381

Reprint of the original edition (1921). Oversized Quarto. 1921. 2p. l., iii-x, 217, [24], 219-242p. front (port.) illus. Wilmington, Del., The Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts, 1921. 1853-1911, American illustrator and writer, b. Wilmington, Del., studied at the Art Students League, New York City. His illustrations appeared regularly in Harper's Weekly, and in many other American magazines. He both wrote and illustrated tales of chivalry and adventure for young people, among them The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883), The Wonder Clock (1888), The Garden Behind the Moon (1895), and The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (1903). His illustrations are of marked individuality. Scenes from both medieval folklore and American history are rendered with engaging simplicity and penetrating realism. Pyle's reconstructions of the past, of which he had an exhaustive knowledge, were uniquely believable. He also painted murals and taught painting. In 1894 he became directorof illustration at Drexel Institute, Philadelphia. In 1900 he started the Howard Pyle School of Art next to his own studio in Wilmington, and classes were offered free to a limited number of students. A large collection of his pictures is preservedat the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts. Pyle wrote many of the books and stories he illustrated, and though he will always be remembered first for his art, many of his books are considered classics and still in print or available in recent reprints. Most of these were illustrated with his distinctive pen & ink style that hearkened back to the wood-engraved images that were common during his childhood and early years of his career. He wasn't restricted to this more-formal style, but seemed to gravitate towards it in pen illustrations for his own work. In all over 750 books illustrated by Pyle are included. Besterman 5281.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 242 pages
• Publisher: Martino Pub (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578984386
• ISBN-13: 978-1578984381
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,771,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Lot of Money For Not Very Much, February 6, 2006

By 

nuadan (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Howard Pyle: A record of his illustrations and writings

I lost alot of money (half the cost of this book) finding out that this wasn't the book I wanted.
You'd think, with all the wonderful illustrations Pyle created over his long and productive life, that there would be books dedicated to reproducing some of his greatest works. Well, let me tell you, this isn't one of them. It's a 242-page letdown.
I knew I was taking a chance when I ordered this book: there weren't any reader reviews; no real details on the contents of the book; and, because it's a reprint of a book published in 1921, it would probably only contain his engravings, not any of his paintings.
I found, to my chagrin, that the book contains only 23 of his engravings, most of them illustrations created to accompany stories in magazines and books (the kinds of pictures that were used at the head of chapters, and to illustrate a quote or phrase from the story). The rest of the book, about 217 pages, is a listing (with no pictures), of the illustrations he created for books and magazines, and the books and articles he authored.
If you want a catalog of all the great pictures Howard Pyle created, but not be able to see them, then I guess this book will work for you. But if you want a book that really illustrates Pyle's genius, you'll have to keep looking.