Arthur Rackham: The Hesperides

 

John Milton
Comus, 1634

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19819/19819-h/19819-h.htm

Arthur Rackham's original book illustration of the Hesperides, mythical nymphs of the evening, shows the trio encircling the tree with the golden apples and singing. Parts of the dragon Ladon, who guards the golden apples, may be seen just outside the fence. The superb image appeared in Heinemann's 1921 edition of John Milton's 1634 masque Comus. The artwork is available from Lucius Books in York, but it may cost you a golden apple.

Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks listing accessed May 12, 2026

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/AMIDST-GARDENS-FAIR-HESPERUS-DAUGHTERS-THREE/32438922383/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook

Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks item description

Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks bibliographic details

05264

A Dragon Fancier's Copy of I, Leonardo by Ralph Steadman?

Twenty-five years ago, Ralph Steadman signed a copy of the softcover edition of I, Leonardo (1988). 

Although there's no inscription, there is a drawing of a fantastic Steadman creature. Is it drawn at the request of a dragon fancier? Or might it be something made to gratify a dinosaur enthusiast? The two-legged, four-toed, spined creature raises some questions as to its taxonomy. Of course, the inspiration for it could be pure Steadman. What ever it has to do with Leonardo may not be self-evident. The ink spatter, a Steadman trademark, comes already printed on the page.

Steadman is not squeamish about illustrating Leonardo's anatomical studies. He leaves it to the master's assistants to convey their comic reactions to the gruesome scene.

Ralph Steadman
AbeBooks listing accessed July 3, 2024

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/Leonardo-Picador-Books-Ralph-Steadman/31920824497/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=readmore_low

Ralph Steadman
AbeBooks item description

04680

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #892

Tell me a story about The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #892 from the issue of April 8, 2024. My caption is shown below. The drawing is by P. C. Vey.

"Five more minutes and I'll take you for a fly."

These captions were unrealistic:

"Calm down—we'll get to Sendak."
"But I'm tired of fantasy and science fiction."

April 27, 2024 Update:  The Finalists

May 5, 2024 Update:  I voted for the caption from Burlington.

May 12, 2024 Update:  The Winner

04611

Richard Oldden: Call Me George

The final quartet of original drawings by Richard Oldden were sold on eBay earlier this month. The artist visits several well-traveled cartoon tropes and puts a new twist on each of them. One of the gags is wordless and in four panels on two sheets of paper. We aren't told where any of the cartoons were published.

          "My name is Kenzaburo Toramichi . . .           "At first we thought we would be swamped with tourists,

                 You may call me George."                           —but somehow it never caught on."

"What's this you've been telling my daughter?"                        Hunting the Lion                  

Versos with Dick Oldden's New York and Laguna Beach stamps

Richard Oldden
eBay listing ended May 6, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/374666219984?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc

Richard Oldden
eBay item description

Richard Oldden
eBay bid history
Three bidders make seven bids over seven days. It's the last one that counts.

Note:  It's likely that many or all of the Dick Oldden cartoons in these eBay groupings of four were published somewhere in a mainstream magazine. But where? And when? It's questions like this that cry out for answers. Help if you can.

04328

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #768

I tried to put a little spin on The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #768 corresponding to the issue of August 23, 2021. My caption is shown below. The cartoon is by Will McPhail.

"Just tell him you're all tied up."

These captions didn't catch fire:

"What kind of newfangled paddle is that?"
"I promise I'll go easy on him."
"Why can't he just wait and play the winner?"

August 30, 2021 Update:  The Finalists

September 6, 2021 Update:  I voted for the caption from Cambridge.

September 17, 2021 Update:  The Winner

03726

Lee Lorenz: Ecce Femina

Lee Lorenz's color lithograph Ecce Femina (the title is a play on the Latin Ecce Homo, "behold the man," from the Gospel of John) dates from 1982 and was published in an edition of 80. The woman at the center of the composition is Eve; she whom we are asked to behold is herself preoccupied with beholding the woman in her hand mirror. Meanwhile Adam seems ready to take a fall for her, St. George battles his dragon for her, and Pan plays the pipes, presumably in an attempt to get her attention. At the bottom of the composition an unconventional pair of suitors is eager to present her with flowers. The overall effect, though, is lacking in coherence. The colors, judging by the scan, appear unhappily muddy. 

Lee Lorenz
Ecce Femina
Edition of 80, 1982

https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Ecce-Femina/2CE658EFC1103309

Note:  This is the fourth and last of the lithographs by Lee Lorenz that I am aware of. The chronological sequence is The Temptation of St. Anthony (1981), Ecce Femina (1982), Weight Watcher (c. 1989), and In the Beginning (1990). If there are any others I've missed, or other states of these four prints, please let me know.

03140

My Entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #668

I'm not one to make excuses, but this week I didn't get around to writing an entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #668 for July 1, 2019. That lowers my chances of winning considerably. The caption you see below was written a full hour after the deadline. The lovely drawing is by Liza Donnelly.

"Why don't you tie me up instead?"

July 16, 2019 Update:  The Finalists

July 22, 2019 Update:  I voted with Niskayuna.

July 29, 2019 Update:  The Winner

Note:  Last time around cartoonist Felipe Galindo showed us where those laboratory mazes come from. Find your way to Contest #667.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Liza Donnelly

Dragons

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

The Moment Magazine Cartoon Caption Contest

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest

All the Above Cartoon Caption Contests and Then Some

Attempted Bloggery's Index in Shining Armor

02971

Heinrich Kley: How to Feed Your Dragon

There is a long tradition in fantasy art of pairing female nudes with dragons and other mythical beasts. Alternatively, Heinrich Kley chooses to pair his dragon with a corpulent nude man, but when it comes to feeding time, that shouldn't impose any particular impediments.

Heinrich Kley

Der Futterkorb [The Feedbasket]

Heinrich Kley

Der Futterkorb [The Feedbasket]

Retrieved August 5, 2013.

The price has since been reduced to $3,800.

https://www.tarabaillustrationart.com/illustration-art/73-heinrich-kley

Note:  Our clothing-optional days here at Attempted Bloggery are drawing to a close. 


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Heinrich Kley

Dragons

Nudes

Attempted Bloggery's Butt Naked Index

02656

Lough Eske Castle

Windmills spanned the countryside on our ride up to Donegal Town in Ireland last month. Just off the N15 was our hotel, Lough Eske Castle. The original castle facade is impressive indeed, while luxurious guest rooms are located in a large modern addition that extends to the back and side. The grounds are generously covered with figurative sculpture in bronze, most notably of a nude in the garden and a fanciful dragon on the front lawn. One of the hotel clerks had some questions regarding Donald Trump for me, an American abroad, which I fielded as best I could.

Windmills

Lough Eske Castle from the garden. The guest rooms are in the modern addition on the right and in other wings.

A female nude

Sculpture at the pool

Owl sculpture

Dragon

Fire-breather

Fountain

Airborne

Reader

Note:  Throwing tomatoes down onto the peasants is not permitted.


Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

Ireland

Castles

Sculpture

Donald Trump

Attempted Bloggery's Noble Index

01945