By Ava Bartlett
Margaret Tarrant was one of the most talented fairy tale artists of the first half of the 20th century, as is shown by her attention to detail and her watercolor depictions of childhood painted in a dreamy, romantic way. She was born to the artist Percy Tarrant in 1888 in London and by the age of 20 she illustrated her first book. Later she worked for the Medici Society, a large business partner and commissioner of her art.
From then on, Tarrant’s career skyrocketed as she began to partner with acclaimed author Marion St. John Webb to develop more than 20 books, including a series called Fairies, which became very popular. Society fell in love with her depictions of innocence and childhood, and she went on to illustrate famous fairy tales such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1916), The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen (1910), and several nursery rhyme compilations. She spent her final years in Cornwall.
Illustrator: Margaret Tarrant
Barbara Euphan Todd, Hither and Thither (London: George C. Harrap, 1927)
Courtesy of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University
PR6003.O67 1927
“Perhaps You’ll See a Fairy in Her Newest Dancing Dress”
This illustration shows children having a picnic in a beautiful field while finding a magical fairy. It is the inside cover of a fairy tale compilation book called Hither and Thither, and in some versions, it is the cover art. The book contains poems for children and nursery rhymes, much like other books she illustrated. Through many watercolor illustrations like this, Tarrant influenced society in the 1920s by popularizing the concept of fairies. She drew many illustrations of fairies that gained her recognition and popularity. Fairies were one of the most common subjects in her art, and her illustrations encapsulate themes of childhood wonder and the joy of youth. Many of her drawings focus on the possibility of magic for children to believe in, shown by the caption attached to this drawing. It seems to suggest that magic could be waiting for the reader if they go out and find it.
Illustrator: Margaret Tarrant
Ward Lock, Children’s Verse (Ward Lock, 1986)
Courtesy of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University
PZ8.3 .C434 1986
“The Rock-a-By Lady from Hushaby Street”
This beautiful watercolor illustration depicts the Rock-a-By Lady, a magical woman covered in poppies who gives sleeping children a poppy flower that causes them to dream. The nursery rhyme that goes along with this illustration, originally from 1935, describes children’s dreams in a playful manner. The Rock-a-By Lady herself is characterized as a benevolent figure that gives poppies as gifts to children so that they can have pleasant dreams.
It seems that this nursery rhyme was meant to be told to children at bedtime to soothe and perhaps encourage them to go to sleep, so that they could look forward to having magical dreams. Poppies are often associated with sleep and peace, since they contain chemicals that can be used as sedatives or pain relievers. Even though poppies can be used for harmful purposes, they are depicted here as symbols of peace.
“Child Venturing into a Forest”
The story that accompanies this picture from 1935 is called “Night and Day”: a beautiful nursery rhyme that reads like a poem describing the world as it transitions from day to night and back again. It seems to be designed to comfort children who are about to go to sleep, as it describes children sleeping as a part of the peaceful scene before it describes how the children get up and play when the morning comes. It includes descriptions of creatures sleeping pleasantly and paints a picture of nature waking up along with the sleeping children and animals. It also touches upon themes of childhood joy and innocence that are very similar to the themes represented in much of Tarrant’s artwork. She often illustrates young children in beautiful scenes in bright colors that give a sense of fantasy and wonder.
Margaret Tarrant’s Christmas Garland
Tarrant, Margaret, 1888-1959 (Ill.)
Heath, Marian Russell (comp)
Hale, Cushman & Flint: Boston, 1942
Tulane University Libraries, Howard-Tilton Amoss Collection PN6110.C5