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From June 12 to October 31, 2021, the Norman Rockwell Museum has on display “Enchanted: A History of Fantasy Illustration.” The exhibition includes between 100 and 200 works, filling four rooms. In this post and next week’s, I’m sharing a dozen or so of my favorite works from the exhibition.

If, like me, you live firmly in the real world, you may wonder what the point is of looking at paintings of people fighting dragons and monsters and ogres (oh, my!). But here’s the thing. A painting’s literal subject is not the same as its theme. You can “read” a painting of St. George killing the dragon as a reminder that humans can overcome huge obstacles. The sight of a hero successfully battling evil can ramp up your own courage to battle less lizard-like foes and obstacles. (For more on this, see my essay on Harry Potter.) If you refuse to look at art whose literal subjects you consider irrelevant, you’ll miss a great deal of fascinating, exuberant, and inspiring art. Don’t cross the Rockwell’s “Enchanted” exhibition off your list because it’s “fantasy art”.

Another point: most of the paintings in this exhibition are done in a crisp style with vivid, glowing colors. These artists are technically very accomplished. I find a moment’s rest in seeing anyone do their work this well.

For heaven’s sake (or Olympus’s sake, or Asgard’s), please don’t use these blog posts as an excuse not to visit the exhibition yourself! First of all, the actual paintings are often several feet tall. Looking at photos of them on a small screen cannot convey their impact. Also, I took my photos using a handheld camera without a flash, per museum regulations. That means the colors are slightly off, and the details may be slightly blurred. Since these artists, without exception, render amazing details, the color shift and blurring are serious problems.

The last reason for visiting the exhibition, but probably the best: I’m showing you my favorite paintings, but since you are not me, there are certain to be a number of paintings that will mean more to you.

If you absolutely can’t make it to the Berkshires (western Massachusetts) this summer or fall, a catalogue of the exhibition is available: Enchanted: A History of Fantasy Illustration.

St. George and the Dragon, 2010

St. George is a very recent work, created as an illustration for Dragon Con 2010. I like the twisting, energetic pose of the man in armor, and the fact that he’s willing to take on that enormous reptile. My husband loves this painting because his first superhero (at age eight or so) was St. George. Again: it’s perfectly acceptable to like a painting for its subject, or for some aspect of the way the figures or the scene is shown (the style), or for the technical mastery, or because it speaks to your personal history.

Donato Giancola began painting in the 1990s. See his website for more of his works. His favorite artists include Hans Memling, Jan van Eyck, Velázquez, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Piet Mondrian, Rembrandt, Rubens and Titian. (The man has good taste!) Among his clients are LucasFilm, National Geographic, CNN, DC Comics, Microsoft, The Village Voice, and Playboy Magazine.

Legends of Charlemagne, 1923

Wyeth’s fame and popularity in the early twentieth century came from book illustrations such as this, with great compositions and vivid colors. You can still buy reprints with his illustrations of Kidnapped, Last of the Mohicans, Rip Van Winkle, and other classics. For more of his work, see my Facebook post on the N.C. Wyeth exhibition at the Brandywine Museum in 2019.

This painting is owned by the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is the best reason I’ve heard in years to visit Los Angeles again … but the museum won’t open until 2023, so no rush there.

You could, by the way, have some fun comparing this dragon-slayer with Giancola’s: the armor, the weapons, the distance between the dragon and the slayer, the lighting … Which do you prefer, and why? This sort of question is on my mind because I’m at work on Getting More Enjoyment from Paintings You Love, the companion volume to Getting More Enjoyment from Sculpture You Love.

The Hand of the Queen, 2019

This image, commissioned by HBO for the final season of Game of Thrones, shows Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the Queen to Daenerys Targaryen, caught in a feud between House Lannister and House Targaryen. The elegant stylization of the lion’s fur caught my eye: it reminds me of the medieval frescoes of lions at the Metropolitan Museum’s Cloisters, painted ca. 1200. The label describes Hand of the Queen as “digital and mixed media on paper”. I can’t tell where the digital ends and the mixed media begins. It’s a remarkable synthesis of media.

Ngai, a native of Hong Kong who studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, has done work for McDonald’s, Apple, Johnnie Walker, American Express, and others. See more of her work here. (Danger: a very distracting site!)

The Way of Kings, 2010

Cover for Brandon Sanderson’s book The Way of Kings. I have no clue what that “way” is, but I love this painting for the combination of bluish-purple and orangish-yellow, which is among my favorites; for the way the figure in the foreground stands, defiant, and for the way the light glows through his cape; and for the way the clouds and the valleys swirl, drawing attention to the two figures and adding enormous drama.

Whelan’s first book illustration was for Anne McCaffrey‘s The White Dragon, 1978. He has since illustrated works by Stephen King, Piers Anthony, Robert A. Heinlein, H.P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. His website is here. I especially like the retrospective page, where you can trace the artist’s development and interests over decades. A print of The Way of Kings is available on Whelan’s site.

Bruce on the Beach, 1921

Have I mentioned how much I love N.C. Wyeth? This illustration (three feet or so high) was painted for Jane Porter’s The Scottish Chiefs. Robert the Bruce (1274-1329) led his country against England during the First War of Scottish Independence, and ruled Scotland from 1306 until his death. Shown here: the moment when he returned from forming an alliance with the King of France. Stepping onto the beach, he told his friend, “This earth shall cover me or support my throne.” Courage and perseverence: I like that. See more of N.C. Wyeth’s paintings here.

Gandalf, 1999

Meseldžija describes how he came to paint this work and its effect on his career here. His home page is here. You can also follow him on Facebook.

From one of his posts on Facebook:

More than a decade ago, I was still very much preoccupied with painting from life and produced a number of still-life and plein-air landscape paintings. It had a significant impact not only on the further development of my painting abilities but it also improved and enriched my fantasy art work. All that we dream of and fantasize about is firmly anchored in the knowledge of the reality we perceive around us. Sharpening of the perception of the physical world will improve our ability to ‘dream’ in color and form.

Kull of Valusia, 2006

An illustration for Kull: Exile of Atlantis, by Robert E. Howard. Beginning in 1929, Howard wrote a dozen stories featuring Kull the Conqueror, who was born in Atlantis and became king of Valusia. Howard’s more famous creation was Conan the Barbarian, who debuted in 1932.

I haven’t read any of the Kull stories, but that doesn’t matter. I like this painting for the posture and expression of the figure, even though I know nothing about him. Unfortunately my photo is slightly blurred, and I’m pretty sure the colors have too much yellow.

Justin Sweet has illustrated many books and has done concept and character design for The Lion King (2019) and for several Avengers and Star Wars movies. His site is here.

Next week: more from the Enchanted exhibition at the Rockwell Museum.

More

• To supplement the “Enchanted” exhibition, the Norman Rockwell Museum has collected statements by some of the artists about their work. Download the app for the museum in the Play Store or iTunes store. The Rockwell’s website also offers several videos.
• In Getting More Enjoyment from Sculpture You Love, I demonstrate a method for looking at sculptures in detail, in depth, and on your own. Learn to enjoy your favorite sculptures more, and find new favorites. Available on Amazon print and Kindle formats.
• Want wonderful art delivered weekly to your inbox? Check out my free Sunday Recommendations list and rewards for recurring support: details here.