The Wren and the Bear

1902

Arthur Rackham

(British, 1867–1939)

Culture

England, early 20th Century

Medium

brush and black ink and pen and black ink, with watercolor, on paper

Measurements

Sheet: 36.7 x 25.8 cm (14 7/16 x 10 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Ralph Perkins in memory of Coburn Haskell 1946.8

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Location

Not on view

Description

The battle depicted here between flying and land animals is from the fairy tale “The Wren and the Bear.” The bear insults the wren, the king of the birds, leading to a war. Most of Arthur Rackham’s best-known illustrations combine intricate line work with delicate coloring. However, he also produced some silhouette illustrations like this one, created for a luxury edition of Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. The illustration won a gold medal at the 1906 Milan International Exhibition, where it was exhibited as The Battle between the Air and the Earth.