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Discover historical illustrations by subject, artist and book.

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Blake’s Book of Urizen

Creation and rebellion in Blake’s illuminated plates.

Nielsen’s East of the Sun

Norwegian fairy tales illustrated by Kay Nielsen.

Gnostic Spirit Drawings

Four colour drawings from a 1908 Gnostic text.

Doré’s Dante

From the dark wood to Paradise with Gustave Doré.

The Kingdom of the Gods

Ethelwynne Quail’s visions of the spirit world.

Vassos’s Phobia

Art Deco studies of fear by John Vassos.

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3039 illustrations

A woman in white and rose-coloured robes reaches towards a star above rocky hills and beds of flowers. — Edmund Dulac
A woman in a white dress and rose-coloured drapery stretches her hands towards a star in a deep blue sky.
The Stealers of Light

A narrow stair coils upward through a black field scattered with tiny stars. — W. T. Horton
A narrow stair coils upward through a black field scattered with tiny stars.
A Book of Images

A pale woman in a red garment occupies a narrow central panel surrounded by curling peacock feathers. — Will H. Bradley
A pale woman in a red garment occupies a narrow central panel surrounded by curling peacock feathers.
The Modern Poster

Badoura stands in an imagined Chinese garden, surrounded by flowering branches and brightly plumed birds, in Dulac's frontispiece to Housman's Arabian Nights retelling. — Edmund Dulac
Badoura stands in an imagined Chinese garden, surrounded by flowering branches and brightly plumed birds, in Dulac's frontispiece to Housman's Arabian Nights retelling.
Princess Badoura: A Tale from the Arabian Nights

A monk-like figure stands on the deck of a boat while a huge dark wave rises into pale fantastic shapes. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A monk-like figure stands on the deck of a boat while a huge dark wave rises into pale fantastic shapes.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

Two figures lean towards one another within a great dark arch opening onto a deep blue night. — Willy Pogány
Two figures lean towards one another within a great dark arch opening onto a deep blue night.
The Tale of Lohengrin

A woman with her back towards the viewer holds both hands near her face while two men watch in a furnished room. — Howard Pyle
A woman with her back towards the viewer holds both hands near her face while two men watch in a furnished room.
The Parasite

A long scaled dragon curves through deeply worked clouds beside part of a bronze structure. — Maker or photographer not identified
A long scaled dragon curves through deeply worked clouds beside part of a bronze structure.
The Chinese Dragon

A richly dressed young woman looks down towards a pool enclosed by slender trees. — Kay Nielsen
A richly dressed young woman looks down towards a pool enclosed by slender trees.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A celestial carriage descends toward the house where the bamboo-cutter's adopted daughter, Kaguya, waits with her attendants. — Evelyn Paul
A celestial carriage descends toward the house where the bamboo-cutter's adopted daughter, Kaguya, waits with her attendants.
Myths and Legends of Japan

A luminous human form rises within a tall flame above a raised fire altar. — J. A. Knapp
A luminous human form rises within a tall flame above a raised fire altar.
The Phoenix

A solar and lunar pair embraces near a cavern at the water’s edge. — Matthaeus Merian
A solar and lunar pair embraces near a cavern at the water’s edge.
Atalanta Fugiens

An armoured monkey hero lifts a long red staff across an immense pale moon. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
An armoured monkey hero lifts a long red staff across an immense pale moon.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

A woman in a green dress stands with a crowned man beside a dark pool beneath overhanging trees. — Edmund Dulac
Two women stand at the edge of a dark pool enclosed by pale stonework and flowering trees.
The Stealers of Light

A broad reclining man raises a glass beneath a large outlined title and a small jester’s head. — G. Mora after Adolf Hohenstein
A broad reclining man raises a glass beneath a large outlined title and a small jester’s head.
The Modern Poster

Two slender figures stand at the edge of a broad black curve and look towards a great face in the pale moon. — Aubrey Beardsley
Two slender figures stand at the edge of a broad black curve and look towards a great face in the pale moon.
Salome

A central ridge separates repeated black spirals and broad pale curves across an oval face. — Artist not recorded
A central ridge separates repeated black spirals and broad pale curves across an oval face.
Masks and Demons

A pale world map carries modern continental outlines together with larger red boundaries. — Artist not recorded
A pale world map carries modern continental outlines together with larger red boundaries.
The Story of Atlantis and The Lost Lemuria

Lantern-bearers, musicians and a richly decorated elephant fill Dulac's closing marriage procession. — Edmund Dulac
Lantern-bearers, musicians and a richly decorated elephant fill Dulac's closing marriage procession.
Princess Badoura: A Tale from the Arabian Nights

A scaled dragon fills a circular field of rounded clouds and fine lines. — Maker or photographer not identified
A scaled dragon fills a circular field of rounded clouds and fine lines.
The Chinese Dragon

A pale seated woman seems almost to dissolve into the background beneath the moon. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A pale seated woman seems almost to dissolve into the background beneath the moon.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

A young woman stands at a decorated doorway beneath a bright round moon. — Kay Nielsen
A young woman stands at a decorated doorway beneath a bright round moon.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A ring of changing moons surrounds a four-part interior containing small symbolic figures. — Edmund Dulac
A ring of changing moons surrounds a four-part interior containing small symbolic figures.
A Vision

Two small figures hurry across an ornate bridge suspended above a pale landscape. — Kay Nielsen
Two small figures hurry across an ornate bridge suspended above a pale landscape.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A woman in a long pale dress with a dark spotted train stands before patterned curtains. — Aubrey Beardsley
A woman in a long pale dress with a dark spotted train stands before patterned curtains.
The Modern Poster

Bright branching lines radiate from several points around a dark centre. — Maker or photographer not identified
Bright branching lines radiate from several points around a dark centre.
The Phoenix

A kneeling woman pours water from two vessels, one into a pool and one upon the ground. — Pamela Colman Smith
A kneeling woman pours water from two vessels, one into a pool and one upon the ground.
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination

A young woman in blue, pink and patterned robes moves above banks of golden clouds. — Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
A young woman in blue, pink and patterned robes moves above banks of golden clouds.
One Hundred Aspects of the Moon

A pale woman stands at the foot of a blue palace half concealed by cascading foliage. — Willy Pogány
A pale woman stands at the foot of a blue palace half concealed by cascading foliage.
Parsifal

A solitary robed traveller stands among towering trunks, exposed roots and dark foliage, turning his face toward a narrow opening in the wood. — Gustave Doré
A solitary robed traveller stands among towering trunks, exposed roots and dark foliage, turning his face toward a narrow opening in the wood.
Dante's Inferno

A pale-robed woman stands among slender trees with deer gathered around her. — Warwick Goble
A pale-robed woman stands among slender trees with deer gathered around her.
The Book of Fairy Poetry

Two women in dark eye masks turn within a dense frame of curling leaves and flowers. — Will H. Bradley
Two women in dark eye masks turn within a dense frame of curling leaves and flowers.
The Modern Poster

A cloaked figure steps into a dark arched doorway with a bright lamp held low at his side. — William Blake
A cloaked figure steps into a dark arched doorway with a bright lamp held low at his side.
Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion

A standing figure and rows of carved signs survive across a damaged stone slab. — Artist not recorded
A standing figure and rows of carved signs survive across a damaged stone slab.
Fresh Light from the Ancient Monuments

A long fish-like body rises beside a many-tiered gate above curling waves. — Maker or photographer not identified
A long fish-like body rises beside a many-tiered gate above curling waves.
The Chinese Dragon

Badoura looks toward the harbour while ruling the Ebony Isles under Camaralzaman's identity. — Edmund Dulac
Badoura looks toward the harbour while ruling the Ebony Isles under Camaralzaman's identity.
Princess Badoura: A Tale from the Arabian Nights

Tall trunks fill the narrow image with closely repeated vertical lines. — Kay Nielsen
Tall trunks fill the narrow image with closely repeated vertical lines.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A kneeling traveller and a standing woman face several pale women appearing over clouds. — Gustave Doré
A kneeling traveller and a standing woman face several pale women appearing over clouds.
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante

Small narrative scenes occupy a great circular field around a central disk. — Maker or photographer not identified
Small narrative scenes occupy a great circular field around a central disk.
The Phoenix

An armoured knight stands in a small ornate boat drawn across the river by a white swan. — Willy Pogány
An armoured knight stands in a small ornate boat drawn across the river by a white swan.
The Tale of Lohengrin

Tiny winged beings and small animals gather beneath a twisted tree. — Warwick Goble
Tiny winged beings and small animals gather beneath a twisted tree.
The Book of Fairy Poetry

Working in an elderly gardener's plot, Camaralzaman sees one bird kill another and watches other birds bury the victim and punish its attacker. — Edmund Dulac
Working in an elderly gardener's plot, Camaralzaman sees one bird kill another and watches other birds bury the victim and punish its attacker.
Princess Badoura: A Tale from the Arabian Nights

A large scaled dragon extends its claws among clouds above a band of deeply curved waves. — Maker or photographer not identified
A large scaled dragon extends its claws among clouds above a band of deeply curved waves.
The Chinese Dragon

Two small robed figures stand on a rocky height beneath a wide night sky, with uneven ground and distant peaks below. — Gustave Doré
Two small robed figures stand on a rocky height beneath a wide night sky, with uneven ground and distant peaks below.
Dante's Inferno

Four long-robed figures gather around an open stone coffin while a winged human form ascends above it. — Maker or photographer not identified
Four long-robed figures gather around an open stone coffin while a winged human form ascends above it.
The Phoenix

Broad layered petals rise from a dark water surface surrounded by leaves. — Artist not recorded
Broad layered petals rise from a dark water surface surrounded by leaves.
Initiation and Its Results

Round reflective eyes and exposed teeth dominate a skull-shaped face crossed by contrasting mosaic bands. — Artist not recorded
Round reflective eyes and exposed teeth dominate a skull-shaped face crossed by contrasting mosaic bands.
Masks and Demons

Mounted warriors surge across an open slope with long lances raised. — Willy Pogány
Mounted warriors surge across an open slope with long lances raised.
Parsifal

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Gallery: Historical Illustrations & Book Art | Lumitheca