Saturday, March 5, 2022

Mar. 5: Howard Pyle, American author and illustrator

BORN MARCH 5:

Howard Pyle (1853-1911) American author and illustrator of children's classics. He may not be a big deal to some, but for many of us he brought the "real story" of heroes like Robin Hood and King Arthur. I always focused on his words, but Van Gogh was an admirer of his illustrations, and he taught art to Maxfield Parrish and N. C. Wyeth. His writing, on the other hand, influenced not just me, but people like Ernest Hemingway. The stories were just so wholesome: one scholar spoke of "themes in [his school's] work: attention to realism and expression of optimism and a faith in the goodness of America." Try The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, or his four (!) King Arthur books: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights; The Story of the Champions of the Round Table; The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions; and The Story of the Grail and the Passing of King Arthur.


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