TFI The Weekend

Bit of a choppy working week, but now two days respite. Which is nice. So, off to see the family in a few minutes, hence being up and about at this time.

Quiet night in last night, Brand new Rebus on TV, lots of swearing for an ITV show I thought, then new QI. Must have been filmed back to back with the one we went to, and what do you know, loads of shots of the audience.

We have been playing the QI DVD game this week. Whatever you do, don't get it, it's rubbish, even though you can get it for under four pounds now. I see there is a new one in time for this christmas, will we fall for it again? Maybe they've learned mistakes from the last one, and this one does have Alan Davies on the cover, so maybe there's a bit more variety to it, the original one got a bit samey... We'll definitely go and see the show filmed again anyway, next year I hope.

Got an auction catalogue through the post yesterday, for Bloomsbury Auctions Children’s & Illustrated Books, Private Press & Limited Editions, Original Artwork, Performing Arts, presumably because I registered before for a Harry Clarke auction. There are a couple of Harry Clarke illustrated books up for grabs, including one signed by him, guide price 400 - 600 pounds, and there are two original colour illustrations (The Emperors New Clothes and He Saw Upon A Bed, The Finest Site Was Ever Beheld) that I think I've seen previously on on ABE books. Can we afford to bid, or even attend? No, but the catalogue is quite nice and I'll keep it in my fancy bookcase with my one Harry Clarke book I do own.

2007 :: Comment / reply

Harry Clarke colour plates

Not heard of this book before:

HARRY CLARKE

"Queens"

Text by J M Synge. 8vo Mountrath: The Dolmen Press 1986

FIRST EDITION. 9 colour plates & 1 text photo. Plain blue cloth with gilt lettering.15pp

Colour reproductions of 9 stained glass panels completed in 1917. Advertising leaflet loosely tipped in. MINT COPY. Since few of us will ever have the chance to own an original Clarke Stained Glass panel, we can but dream, this is the next best thing.

21 Jan :: 2007 :: Comment / reply

Charles Perrault fairy tales, in Dutch

Illustrated by Harry Clarke, Check it out here...

Henry "Harry" Patrick Clarke (1889-1931), born in Dublin, began his work life first at an architect's office and then as an apprentice at his father's stained glass art firm. He studied art at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. During this period his stained glass work was awarded several gold medals in competition. His drawings started to receive attention in 1913 with publication in the Irish Review which was followed quickly with commission for two books that were never published (in one case due to a fire at the publishers). From this point forward, Clarke worked on both book and magazine and stained glass commissions. As a book illustrator, he was a follower of Aubrey Beardsley, with a similar interest in sinister themes, decadence, and Art Nouveau (and later Art Deco) and he used elongated figures like Kay Nielsen and elaborate decoration. Although he only completed about ten major books before his untimely death, several of these received the lavish gift-book treatment, started with the books of Dulac and Rackham, being issued as large, elaborate books in trade and de luxe editions. He is perhaps best known, as an illustrator, for his editions of Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, and his Faust, but all his major books are now quite sought after. At the same time, he also had achieved significant fame as a stained glass artist, with commissions in Ireland, England, Scotland, and the USA. He also worked in fabric, including experimenting with batik after meeting Jessie King. He was elected to the Royal Irish Academy around 1922.

2006 :: Comment / reply