René Bull
René Bull (1870? - 1942) had a wild imagination and a bold style. We had not heard of him until recently, but we're immensely glad we did. Frankly, we think he's a genius. His mind could grasp any concept and find a way to express it in a lively and humorous style. Check it ouT:what immediately springs to mind is comic book illustration—and this in the early 1900s. Born in Ireland, Bull did not come upon illustration till he was studying engineering in London. He was inspired to become an artist, and was eventually sent to cover several wars for Black and White magazine. Speaking of which, in addition to his amazing color illustrations, his version of The Arabian Nights also features humorous line drawings (see below). This is truly one of the most wonderous versions available, long overdue for reprinting.
I own a copy of The Arabian Nights that these images are from. I'm still looking for an affordable Rubaiyat of Omay Khayyam. I've seen it. It's gorgeous. But these images ain't bad.
Arabian NightsSee? Wasn't he a genius? You'll see more of it below in Bull's color images, but this drawing is brilliant..
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Caption: "He saw before him a vast building of black polished marble." |
Caption: "Ah! replied the fisherman, why would you kill me?" |
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We're especially delighted with the cow's udder thing hanging from the ceiling. Caption: "After a long and careful course of magical inquiries." |
Caption: "I saw fishes of a hundred and two hundred cubits long." |
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A nice cover. It's canvas with an inlay. Cool.
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