Enchanted: A History of Fantasy Illustration

This book was created to accompany an exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts—a strange location for a display of fantasy art, many readers (like myself) might think, but the last essay in the book explains the connection: Rockwell referenced fantasy often in illustrations such as The Land of Enchantment, and the ”Golden Age” small-town-Americana-of-yore that his Saturday Evening Post covers and other illustrations so famously depict is, the essay’s author (Stephanie Haboush Plunkett) admits, as much fantasy as reality.The book contains nine essays on historical and modern fantasy art and illustration, covering such subjects as the importance of fantasy, its connection with what Carl Jung called archetypes, and contemporary forms of fantasy art. These are interspersed with numerous examples of the art being discussed, in full color (unless they were in black-and-white to start with) and usually full page or close to it. The pictures are beautiful and well reproduced.The book is somewhat inconsistent in that it sometimes discusses/portrays fantasy art in general and sometimes focuses on fantasy illustration, meaning art that (like Rockwell’s)appeared in books and magazines. Although earlier art is covered, most of the pictures come from the second half of the nineteenth century or later, when fantasy illustration became popular.I wouldn’t say that this book breaks any new ground, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys past or present fantasy art.

I bought this book for my son after taking him to see the exhibit. It’s a beautiful book with well written descriptions of the artworks included. We’ll treasure this book for a long time.

I'm always curious to see how the world of Dungeons & Dragons is viewed through the lens of the sometimes impenetrable art world. If this book is any indication, D&D and its ilk are here to stay.Let's be clear up front: This is a book that sells at museums. It's really meant to accompany Norman Rockwell's work at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Summer 2021. It's about fantasy, but really it's about Rockwell, and the ties it makes to its primary subject matter aren't all that strong.Simply put, the book defines fantasy as using the imagination. In that regard every artist is creating a fantasy work; Rockwell less so than others, because he often used real models to create his masterpieces. No amount of quotes from George Lucas is going to convince fantasy fans otherwise, but it is educational about the non-mainstream art Rockwell did paint, two of which feature fantasy creatures (a mermaid and a goblin). That about sums up Rockwell's fantasy work though.The rest of the book is a whirlwind tour through myth, legend, and fantasy from Lord of the Rings right through to Game of Thrones. But most important, the authors acknowledge that D&D and D&D-inspired games (Magic: The Gathering, World of Warcraft) now dominate fantasy. As this book correctly states, gaming fantasy is now so dominant that every younger artist featured in the collection has created a gaming fantasy work at one point.It's disappointing, but perhaps not unexpected, to see that in a book with such a specific focus (Rockwell) and massive mandate (fantasy) that it doesn't acknowledge the shift in D&D's fantasy coming full circle back to earlier Renaissance styles of fantasy. But then this book is really to get a younger generation interested in Rockwell's work by talking about content "the kids" are interested in. It's a beautiful book, but I'm not sure it will achieve its objective.

Gave it to my brother for Christmas, he worked for TSR back in the late 70's & 80's, here wrote modules, did proof reading and editing for D&D. He loved it!

Another first-rate show and catalog from the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Must have for fantasy illustrators. Fantasy art 101.

This has the potential to serve as a beautiful coffee-table book. It is over-sized, hardcover with a matte dust-jacket, and wonderfully attractive. It has big, glossy, full-color pages with a variety of art that quickly captures attention (especially of D&D fans). So, while I grabbed it to use as a reference book, I can easily see how this may become a showpiece for some!Now, I like how this averts the obvious choice of chronologically organizing the material and elects for a more informative, thematic approach. In my field, we would say that the reader gets both his/her "vegetables as well as dessert" (i.e. he/she learns about art and history while exploring pop culture). And, what's most remarkable is the the text never becomes jargon-laden or weighty. It moves swiftly ... it is dynamic. That's the hallmark of a skilled writer.It is apparent that the author has a genuine mastery of the subject. He includes highly recognizable artists (like Brian Froud) and iconic images like The Cottingley Fairies (the amazing turn-of-the-century photography scandal) ... but he also includes new artists (like Victo Ngai). Couple this with the lovely focus on history and art history, and the text leaps in intellectual value.Now, what I genuinely appreciate (as a researcher) is that the author does not become bogged down partially clad women in leather or metal bikinis. There was a brief moment in the 1980s where these were as commonplace as they were generic. And, while some similar texts fixate on them (for obvious juvenile reasons), this author acknowledges their existence, but remains true to a holistic portrait of the genre. That is great for both parents wanting to buy this for their teen and for people seeking a truly complete portrait.This is a gorgeous, well written, beautifully edit, informative, and entertaining text. As an academic writer, I can see the time and passion that was invested in this ... and it all paid off. Very highly recommended!

It completes very well my readings on history of illustration.

Fascinating overview of the many aspects of the genre.

Purchased as a gift for an art lover. He was very appreciative. He liked the historical perspective from this book.