The Parrot and the Cat (Sketch for "Good-Night" by Eleanor Gates)

Arthur Rackham, c. 1905

Download3400 × 2916 px View on a wall Edit

Artist: Arthur Rackham (British, 1867–1939)
Medium: Black ink wash with graphite on paper
Size: Sheet: 26 x 37 cm (10 1/4 x 14 9/16 in.)
Culture: England, late 19th-early 20th century
Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

Arthur Rackham was one of the most successful book illustrators of the early 20th century. He is best known for his colored illustrations for luxury editions intended as Christmas gifts. However, Rackham also did some work as a commercial illustrator. He designed ephemera like bookplates and greeting cards, and created illustrations for several magazines. The image associated with this sketch is an example of the later. It was one of six published in the February 1906 issue of Scribner's Magazine accompanying the short story "Buenas Noches" by Eleanor Gates. This sketch shows the tale's two subjects in the same positions and poses as in the finished composition.