Week24 ARTIST RESEARCH - Kate Greenway

 ARTIST RESEARCH - Kate Greenway

Kate Greenway (17th March 1846- 6th November 1901) was an English Victorian artist known for her children's book illustrations. She was educated in graphic art and design from 1858-1871 at the Finsbury School of Art, the South Kensington School of Art, the Heatherley School of Art and the Slade School of Art. She began her career by designing for the greetings card market. 

In 1879 she released her first children's book, Under The Window, which was an instant bestseller and established her reputation. Her depictions of children in imaginary 18th century costumes was incredibly popular in the UK and internationally, sparking the Kate Greenway style. Within a few years her work was imitated in England, Germany and the US.

She was aware during her education that her work was very gaudy, partly due to her lack of knowledge of the chromoxylography process. To gain understanding of the process she regularly visited the National Gallery to study the masters work, particularly Jan Van Eyck. At this time she gained access to the manuscript room at the British museum where she studied illuminated manuscripts.

In 1871 card maker Marcus Ward and Co hired her on a freelance basis. Her designs sold well and they said of her work 'her special talent was in the direction of costume figures and dainty colours'. Her early Valentines cards sold 25,000 copies in weeks.

In the 1880's she was one of the most popular designers of bookplates. She was elected to membership of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours in 1889. She exhibited her work at the Palace of Fine Arts at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Through the 1880's and 90's she had only two rivals in popularity in children's book illustration - Walter Crane and Randolph Caldecott. The children in her art were dressed in her own versions of late 18th century and Regency fashion- smock frocks and skeleton suits for boys, pinafores and dresses with mop caps and straw bonnets for the girls. Liberty of London adapted some of her drawings as designs for actual children's clothes. 

I really like kate greenways work i find it really cute and I absolutely love the style. I love how the colours are almost like faded, I think it gives a really unique and interesting vibe to it and I actually really like her style and how she draws the human figure, I find it such a cute style and I really do love it!!!

I also really like her line work, and how the pictures sit, theyre 2D but i think theres so much detail to look into within them and i really like that about her artworks. I also really enjoy how playful and innocent the pictures look, to me it really describes and conveys childhood, and I really love that about her artwork, it gives such a nice and sweet peaceful feeling to it, and really sets a friendly and calm mood.

The Kate Greenway medal, which was established in her honour in 1955, is annually awarded to an illustrator of children's books.