The art of Dugald Stewart Walker, 1883–1937
A posting of Dugald Stewart Walker’s work this week at the always excellent Golden Age Comic Book Stories sent me back again to Archive.org to see if there might be further examples among their collection of scanned library books. Sure enough there’s not only a copy of the book which GACBS sampled from, Padraic Colum’s The Girl Who Sat By The Ashes, but also other fairy tale collections by Colum, including the one featured here, The Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said (1918). Colum is well-represented in Archive.org’s American Library section and many of his titles seem to be at least partly illustrated. A cursory glance at some of the others turned up his retelling of Greek myths illustrated by Willy Pogàny.
I’m not as keen on Walker’s work as I am other artists of this period—he has a tendency to give his adult characters gnome-like features—but the line work and compositions are first class. The Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said is especially nice for its many peacock details, some of which are featured below.
left: Bloom-of-Youth and the Witch of the Elders; right: What the Peacock and the Crow Told Each Other.
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The illustrators archive
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Peacocks
• Willy Pogàny’s Parsifal
8 comments or trackbacks
#1 posted by Nathalie (Spacedlaw)
Dec 11th, 2008
NIce find. I love the composition on the squid like drawing (not too clear what it is but it looks nice),
#2 posted by John
Dec 11th, 2008
Going by the story it would seem to be a dragon coiled in a circle (its head at the bottom, pointed upwards). A dragon is mentioned briefly so he evidently seized the opportunity to draw one.
#3 posted by xtiaan
Dec 24th, 2008
all very beautiful, esp the circular dragon pic
#4 posted by David Tait
Apr 7th, 2009
I have an original from Dream Boats and Other Stories
Page 99 ” Calling It A Tail Did Not Make It ONe ”
Is there a market for Dugald’s work ? Where is the best place to research prices etc.
Thx.
#5 posted by John
Apr 8th, 2009
Hi David. There are many art auction sites online such as Artnet. Many require registration in order to fully use their search facilities but they’d be the best place to start.
#6 posted by Erin Houck
Aug 6th, 2009
Hi,
David Tait you inquired about a market for Dugald Stewart Walker’s art – yes, there is – ME! He is a relative of mine and my family collects his originals. Please let me know how I can get in touch with you. Thank you.
#7 posted by David
Aug 16th, 2009
Please email ref: Dugald
#8 posted by Nancy
Oct 26th, 2009
I have what I think is a signed original of a blcak and white drawing of a sailing ship (galleon-type) on waves..has the #17 and the signature Dugald Stewart Walker in pencil. Anybody have an idea of value or what book this might be from? I
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