Edwin Austin Abbey (1852-1911) was born just two years after the
inaugural release of Harper's Monthly Magazine. Starting with his first
published drawing in December 1870 at age 18, Abbey's life-long
association with the publisher resulted in hundreds of drawings found
within the pages of Harper's Monthly Magazine and Harper's Weekly as
well as Harper & Brothers books. The resulting exposure throughout the
U.S. and Europe secured an extensive level of recognition. Abbey had the
rarefied appeal to everyone from the average reader to the most
prestigious artists of the day. The inclusion of Abbey's illustrations
in these periodicals helped to expand the reach of the poetry, stories
and essays that they accompanied to a massive audience. This book
focuses on Abbey's line art for the magazines and books published by
Harper & Brothers, beginning with his earliest works as a new
professional in the field. The collection contains over 350 drawings.
These delineated the poetry of Robert Herrick and enhanced such books as
The Deserted Village, Old Songs, She Stoops to Conquer and The Quiet
Life. Drawings created for numerous short stories and poetry are
displayed here as well. Also collected are Abbey's exquisite series of
drawings done over the course of twenty years for The Comedies of
William Shakespeare, followed by The Shakespeare Tragedies. His
painstaking devotion to research while securing the appropriate
costumes, props and models for his drawings was legendary. The results
are some of the most revered illustrations ever created, which continue
to astound aficionados and inspire artists generations after Abbey's
last drawing was made. An extensive new essay by Alice A. Carter offers
a fresh look at Edwin Austin Abbey, his life and career.
