The Absurd Abc, And An Alphabet Of Old Friends

Walter Crane (1845-1915) was an English artist. Born in Liverpool, he was part of the Arts and Crafts movement. He produced paintings, illustrations, children's books, ceramic tiles and other decorative arts. In 1862 his picture The Lady of Shalott was exhibited at the Royal Academy, but the Academy steadily refused his maturer work; and after the opening of the Grosvenor Gallery in 1877 he ceased to send pictures to Burlington House. In 1864 he began to illustrate a series of Sixpenny Toy-Books of Nursery Rhymes in Three Colours for Edmund Evans. He was allowed more freedom in a series beginning with The Frog Prince (1874) which showed markedly the influence of Japanese art, and of long visit to Italy following on his marriage in 1871. From the early 1880s, Crane was closely associated with the Socialist movement. He provided the weekly cartoons for the Socialist Organs Justice, The Commonweal and The Clarion. One of his last major works would be his Lunettes at the Royal West of England Academy which were painted in 1913.