The Emile H. Mathis Art Gallery, with loans from UWM’s Special Collections, presents On Making Fairyland, an exhibit of fairy tale and children’s fantasy illustrations from the Golden Age of Illustration (1880-1930). This exhibition explores the ways artists translated traditional folklore and contemporary fantasy narratives from word to design and the visual trends used to depict imagined realms and their inhabitants. Artists featured in this show include illustration innovators Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, and Henry J. Ford, and iconic successors Mary Shepard and J.R.R. Tolkien. On Making Fairyland demonstrates the critical role illustration played in visualizing “Fairyland,” laying the foundation for future fantasy depictions for decades, and ultimately contributing to the success and longevity of fairy tales and their accompanying imagery.

September 15, 2022 – February 2, 2023

Image details: Arthur Rackham, When he heard Peter’s voice he popped in alarm behind a tulip from Peter Pan in Kensington Garden by J.M. Barrie, 1910.