By Levi Jacobson
Born to the affluent Evans family in 1888 New York, Margaret Evans Price was drawn to the arts from an extraordinarily young age. In 1900, at just 12, Price sold her first illustrated story to the now-defunct Boston Journal. She studied at the Massachusetts Normal Art School before traveling to Paris, Ireland, Wales, and Holland to sketch and also expand her education. Finally, she returned to America and attended the Boston Academy of Fine Arts. Later, she worked freelance, publishing mainly under Rand McNally.
While working in New York City, Margaret met Irving Price, whom she married in 1909. As their relationship blossomed, they became business partners. In 1930, alongside Helen Schelle and Herman Fisher, the couple founded Fisher-Price Toys. There, Price produced playthings based on characters from her own children’s books. Though she worked building a lucrative business, Price continued exhibiting her art and sketching up until her passing in 1973.
Illustrator: Margaret Evans Price
Margaret Price, Myths and Enchantment Tales (New York: Rand McNally, 1949)
Courtesy of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University
PZ8.1.P933 My4 1949
[For many weeks Romulus and Remus lived in the cave]
This illustration depicts the mythological twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, sheltered in a cave by the she wolf that nurtured them after they were abandoned at the River Tiber. The twin kings are portrayed as comfortably protected beside the wolf and her cubs beneath the rocky overhang of the Lupercal cave, softened with grass and flowers.
Price’s gentle pastel palette and delicate line work turn this traditional dramatic myth of brotherly betrayal into a dreamlike, unlikely domestic scene. The hazy colors create a surreal, almost suspended atmosphere, as if this moment exists outside of time. Soft greens and muted earth tones blur the cave’s rough edges, portraying what should be dangerous as tender. Rather than foreshadowing the violence that will eventually divide the brothers, Price presents a vision of fleeting innocence.
[Juno was angry when she saw the new constellations]
This illustration depicts Juno’s fury upon discovering that Jupiter has immortalized Callisto and her son Arcas as constellations. Draped in classical robes and framed by towering columns, Juno gazes upward toward an endless sky where the newly placed stars shimmer. A peacock stands beside her, its lengthy tail feathers reminiscent of the celestial phenomena in question.
Price’s clean lines and controlled colors lend the scene a composed and almost theatrical stillness. The stark divide between the dark star-filled sky and the pale architectural setting underlines Juno’s isolation. Rather than showing explosive rage, Juno’s stoic expression masks her anger. Price purposely captures a quiet, controlled fury to emphasize the calculated nature of the Gods.
[Pegasus flew wildly over the sea and the mountains]
This illustration depicts Pegasus carrying Bellerophon into the vast sky. The winged horse soars suspended between soft clouds and the distant mountain peaks below. Bellerophon leans forward gripping the reins as Pegasus stretches mid-stride through the air.
Price’s flowing lines and muted pastel tones create an intangible airiness. The wings and confident posture of Pegasus convey power. In contrast, the gentle sky and simple landscape below balance the scene’s danger. Instead of focusing on the impending tragedy of the myth (Bellerophon’s eventual plummet), Price highlights the exhilaration of flight and youthful ambition. Price positions the myth as a fleeting moment of triumph following a heroic battle suspended in the heavens.