Walter Crane (Liverpool, 1845 - 1915, Horsham, England)
The Baby's Own Aesop, 1887
Ink on paper
Vatichino
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner was a voracious reader, and books were the first objects that she collected. Of the 2700 books she acquired for her museum, about 120 can be considered children's books.
Although not composed for children, Aesop fables have always been popular with them. This light-hearted treatment of the stories with large colorful illustrations and a short text reflects Walter Crane’s belief in the power of the picture book: “Every child, one might say every human being, takes in more though his eyes than his ears, and I think much more advantage might be taken of this fact.”
Although not composed for children, Aesop fables have always been popular with them. This light-hearted treatment of the stories with large colorful illustrations and a short text reflects Walter Crane’s belief in the power of the picture book: “Every child, one might say every human being, takes in more though his eyes than his ears, and I think much more advantage might be taken of this fact.”