Actually this book is not about Arthur Szyk's color illustrations, but it should be. I am sure the translation is great, but it is the illustrations that amaze me. There are ten color ones, and many more black and white ones. I would NEVER suggest buying a book to remove the prints for framing, but IF I did, this would be the book. How did the colors stay so vibrant?
Andersen's Fairy Tales, by Hans Christian Andersen (HC, 1945, $3.50, which is 1/3 the internet price)
These prints were so beautiful I had to check out this artist. As I thought, he was special. His works had been exhibited all over Europe, the US, and Israel. He was most well know for his caricatures of Axis leaders. Per Wikipedia, his work "is characterized in its formal aspect by its rejection of modernism and drawing on the traditions of medieval and renaissance painting, especially illuminated manuscripts from those periods. Unlike most caricaturists, Szyk always showed great attention to the colouristic effects and details of his works." His art was rediscovered in the 1990s.
If you like these prints, you should see his full page illuminated manuscript ones!
Look for this wondrous book in the children's section. And enjoy!
