Arthur Rackham
(Source: Wikipedia)
Arthur Rackham illustrated children’s books including Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Rip Van Wrinkle, Goblin Market, and many more during the late 1800s’ and first two decades of the 1900s’. He began as a newspaper illustrator, on the side making some illustrations. His illustrations changed direction when he learned to conquer color, which he did by learning to use watercolors. A hallmark of his illustrations is the ominous forest surrounding the scenes, which he used for his Goblin Market illustrations. (The Golden Age of Illustration: Arthur Rackham)
“Oh,” cried Lizzie, “Laura, Laura,
You should not peep at goblin men.”
Lizzie cover’d up her eyes,
Cover’d close lest they should look;
Laura stretch’d her gleaming neck
Like a rush-imbedded swan,
Like a lily from the beck,
Like a moonlit poplar branch,
Like a vessel at the launch
When its last restraint is gone.
In this illustration, Lizzie, aware of the consequences of tasting goblin fruit, is trying to avoid seeing the goblin men who are trying to sell their fruits. Laura is giving in to her curiosity, turning her head to see the goblin men. From first glance of the illustration, it is
evident through the painting of Lizzie and Laura that Rackham wanted to bring
out their innocent qualities. Laura, who is daring to “stretch her
gleaming neck” (81) has rosy cheeks and both Laura and Lizzie have small, dainty
features, and blond hair. The pureness and youth portrayed by their features
makes them perfect targets for the goblins who only tempt maidens.
In addition to the portrayal of Lizzie and Laura,
the yellow daisies accentuate their innocence. The poem turns flowers into a
symbol of innocence, when after reminding Laura about little Jeanie, who became
victim of the goblin’s temptation, she says, “Where she lies low, I planted daisies there a year ago, That never blow” (160-161). In other words, the ground
where Jeanie lies is too impure for daisies. If one focuses one’s eyes on the
right bottom corner, he or she will notice a spot where no daisies grow. Could
Jeanie’s corrupted body lie under that dirt? (credit to Rebecca for the
observation) The field of daisies serves to bring out their youth and innocence
while bringing out the fact that these very qualities are threatened.
The way Rackham portrays the background also serves
to highlight the threat surrounding Laura and Lizzie. Rackham includes the
menacing forests that he is known for in many of his works. The huge trees in
the background, with their intense shadows, seem as though they are alive,
ready to grab any maiden that falls to temptation. On the top of the two middle
trees is what seems like two carvings of eyes, spying on the two maidens. There
is an ugly face carved out of the bottom of the tree on the right, bringing life to the trees.
The goblins and their alluring fruits emerge from this threatening forest.
Rackham chose to make a gradient of goblins, ranging from animal like to human like. In the poem, the goblins are referred to as merchant men and goblin men but are also referred to as animals, such as cats and snails. In the front of the
goblin line is a little old man. Behind him is a troll, and finally, there are
cats. It is interesting that Rackham chose to show the goblin men emerge in a sneaky fashion. The two goblins in front are covering their heads with trays of fruit, and two goblins are covering their heads with hoods, while looking down. The cat goblins in the back blend in with the trees. The portrayal of the goblins trying to hide themselves serves to explain the curiosity that Laura has in them and their fruit.
Illustration 2
“You have much gold upon your head,”
They answer’d all together:
“Buy from us with a golden curl.”
She clipp’d a precious golden lock,
She dropp’d a tear more rare than pearl,
Then suck’d their fruit globes fair or red:
In this illustration, Laura is giving the goblins a golden lock in return for their fruit. This illustration makes use of color to capture the
lure these forbidden fruits have for Laura. Much of the background is filled
with a bland tan or muted gold. The light gold goblins blend in with the light
color of the trees along with the bland color of Laura’s dress. The
fruits in the middle of the illustration, however, are bright red, popping out
from everything else in the background, almost impossible to resist.
Laura does not seem as innocent in this
illustration as she does in the first Rackham illustration. Laura wears bright
red shoes, unlike her sister who wears tan shoes. Maybe, according to Rackham,
it is the cutting of her locks, the selling of herself to these goblin men,
which marks the point in which Laura is no longer this pure maiden. In addition
to her attire, Laura’s face suggests that the fact that she has agreed to give
the goblins a part of her body means she is no longer innocent. According to
the poem, when Laura cuts a lock, she “[drops] a tear more rare than pearl” (127), as
if she is struggling with what she is about to do. Her face in this
illustration, however, shows no sign of distress.
Illustration 3
They trod and hustled her,
Elbow’d and jostled her,
Claw’d with their nails,
Barking, mewing, hissing, mocking,
Tore her gown and soil’d her stocking,
Twitch’d her hair out by the roots,
Stamp’d upon her tender feet,
Held her hands and squeez’d their fruits
Against her mouth to make her eat.
White and golden Lizzie stood,
Like a lily in a flood,—
Like a rock of blue-vein’d stone
Lash’d by tides obstreperously,—
Like a beacon left alone
In a hoary roaring sea,
Sending up a golden fire,—
Like a fruit-crown’d orange-tree
White with blossoms honey-sweet
Sore beset by wasp and bee,—
Like a royal virgin town
This illustration depicts Lizzie being harassed by the goblins, as they try to force her to taste their fruit. Rackham succeeds at showing Lizzie’s inner strength.
Even though goblin men are trying to shove fruits into her mouth, she remains
standing with dignity and poise. She now wears a purely white dress, unlike her
dress in the first illustration, which had some purple fabric. The goblins, who
are trying to destroy her of her purity are pulling on her dress, and have even
pulled down one sleeve, but she is holding up the other sleeve in resistance to
the goblins. The way Rackham portrays the goblins pulling down her dress and
also lifting up the skirt of the dress, suggests that the goblins are trying to
take away a sexual purity, but Lizzie does not allow them to accomplish their
goal.
The goblins and fruit in this illustration become
overwhelming. The overwhelming nature works with the overwhelming, fast paced
rhythm of the above lines in the first stanza. Unlike in the previous
illustration, there are now heaps and heaps of different types of fruit. Goblins
are growing out of trees and golden grass (near Lizzie’s right arm), as though
they are extensions of the forest. There are all types of goblins, including a
scary parrot goblin, and they are harassing Lizzie from all directions The
overwhelming nature of this illustration portrays Lizzie being “like a lily in
a flood”.
Illustration 4
Laura would call the little ones
And tell them of her early prime,
Those pleasant days long gone
Of not-returning time:
Would talk about the haunted glen,
The wicked, quaint fruit-merchant men,
Their fruits like honey to the throat
But poison in the blood;
(Men sell not such in any town):
This illustration is a portrayal of Laura telling
her children about her experiences with the goblin men and, of Laura ultimately telling her children the importance of
sisterly love. Unlike the threatening forest environment in which the other
illustrations take place, this illustration takes place in the safety of a
home. These young children must not yet have a sense of there being danger in the world. A home brings a false sense of security.
Rackham's decisions to portray two very innocent looking girls surrounded by a dangerous,dark forest captured the essence of Goblin Market. His illustrations are not graphic like Kinuko Craft"s illustrations are, yet they still capture the torture Lizzie is willing to undergo in order to save her sister from becoming another Jeanie.
Rackham's decisions to portray two very innocent looking girls surrounded by a dangerous,dark forest captured the essence of Goblin Market. His illustrations are not graphic like Kinuko Craft"s illustrations are, yet they still capture the torture Lizzie is willing to undergo in order to save her sister from becoming another Jeanie.
