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From my own perspective Arthur Rackham remains the greatest artist from The Golden Age of Illustration which lasted from the 1880s up until around WWII. Rackham first rose to prominence with his strangely compelling illustrated works that featured all of the various elements of the greatest myths, fables, and fairy tales. The artwork that he produced contained all of the whimsy, romance, adventure, and grotesquerie that was found in their accompanying narratives. Rackham's images became so ingrained in the minds of many children that his illustrations almost defined the essence of fantasy and legend for generations. Personally, I've always found his unique combination of innocent beauty with eeriness and often tragedy to be emotionally moving. I can't think of any other artist in the world of illustration who managed to so evocatively retell the stories of the past with such imagination and believability.
Soon She Was Lost to Sight in the Danube (1909, from Undine)
Freya (1909, from The Rhinegold & the Valkyrie)
The Third Time She Wore the Star-Dress which Sparkled with Every Step (1917, from Little Brother and Little Sister and Other Tales by the Brothers Grimm)
At This the Whole Pack Rose Up into the Air, and Came Flying Down Upon Her (1907, from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
It Seemed as if a Sudden Swarm of Winged Creatures Brushed Past Her (1922, from A Wonder Book)
Thor (1910, from The Rhinegold & the Valkyrie)
The Waiting Maid Sprang Down and Maid Maleen Followed (1917, from Little Brother and Little Sister and Other Tales by the Brothers Grimm)
Brünnhilde (1910, from The Rhinegold & the Valkyrie)
Brünnhilde Kisses the Ring (1911 from Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods)
Marjorie and Margaret (1912, from Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures)
How Sir Launcelot Fought a Fiendly Dragon (1917, from The Romance of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table)
Titania Lying Asleep (1908, from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream)
When the Storm Threatened to Burst on Their Heads (1909, from Undine)
And Now They Never Meet in Grove or Green, By Fountain Clear or Spangled Starlight Sheen, But They Do Square (1908, from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream)
The Magic Cup (1908, from Arthur Rackham's Book of Pictures)
Where Is Pease-Blossom? (1907, from Tales from Shakespeare)
As a genre that spans multiple mediums, fantasy has been able to introduce people to new worlds, new concepts, and encounters that only the imagination could provide. Within the art world, very few fantasy artists have ever been given the credit that they deserve for their artistic work. Aesthetically, fantasy in art is usually comprised of scenes of scantily clad barbarian men and women battling with supernatural forces, though there are other kinds of fantasy art. However, when it comes to "pulp fantasy", as I often refer to it, no artist has ever had the kind of cultural impact and influence that Frank Frazetta has. His works have pushed the envelope in ways that are almost indescribable. The men he draws are muscle-bound and rippling with testosterone; the women are voluptuous sensual creatures who can barely stand due to their endowments; the monsters are as grotesque and as savage could be.
Conan the Adventurer (1965)
Birdman (1972)
Cat Girl (1984)
Conan the Barbarian (1966)
Vampirella (1969)
Egyptian Queen (1969)
The Death Dealer (1973)
Conan the Usurper (1967)
The Tempest Witch, also known as The Sea-Witch (1967)
Vampirella (1996)
Conan the Destroyer (1971)
The Silver Warrior (1972)
Witch (1981)
Conan the Conqueror (1967)
