Famed in the early twentieth century for his Art Nouveau–style depictions of episodes from mythology, Willy Pogány illustrated books for readers of all ages. This collection — featuring the best examples of design, illustration, and calligraphy from the artist's early career — returns a long-neglected master illustrator to the public eye.
The Hungarian-born artist studied in Paris and worked in London for a decade before his arrival in the United States in 1915. In addition to his successes as a muralist, set designer, and art instructor, Pogány illustrated more than 100 books. This is the first collection of his selected works, featuring many hard-to-find images that have been out of print for more than 80 years. More than 100 color and black-and-white illustrations include scenes from fairy tales and adventure stories such as Wagner's "Ring" cycle of Parsifal, Lohengrin, and Tannhäuser. Other sources of inspiration include a 1908 edition of Faust, Gulliver's Travels, and Nathaniel Hawthorne's A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales.