Harry Clarke (born March 17, 1889 in Dublin; died January 6, 1931 in Chur) was an Irish illustrator and glass painter. His talent of capturing stories as well as authentic feelings in his paintings was what made him famous.
What made him special was that despite his relatively short life, he received an unusually large amount of orders from all over the world. He was extremely popular as a glass painter, especially in Britain and its colonies. He specialized in “religious motifs” and his creations still adorn windows of churches and war memorials.
It wasn’t the breathtakingly beautiful windows that led me to him, though – what consequently drew me to him was his book illustrations. I’m talking Goethe, Andersn, Perrault and Edgar Allan Poe.
His mainly black illustrations look almost like negatives – everything is twisted, and black and white seem to have switched roles. But it is precisely these factors that are such a good match for these dark and twisted stories. He ingeniously incorporated the prevailing mood of the stories into his illustrations and thus further enhanced the overall impression. Circa 90 years ago, illustrations like these in combination with dark stories were the equivalent to today’s horror flicks.
The artist warped not only the colors, but also the displayed people – as a result, they look almost inhuman. At the same time, however, the illustrations are hauntingly beautiful, and are a testimony towards the vast talent of the artist.
If you’re in the mood for some horror from the 1920s, go ahead and take a look at some of his illustrations!
Copyright and source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Clarke
