Though I am less drawn to Edmund Dulac's fairytale illustrations than I am to those of his contemporaries Arthur Rackham and Kay Nielsen, I still appreciate the artistic talent behind his work. Nielsen and Packham became well-known for their depictions of legends, myths, and stories from Western European culture, but Dulac made his mark by exploring the potential of stories from China, Japan, and the Middle East. Other artists of the era (Aubrey Beardsley, another of my favourites, for one) had capitalized on the population's growing fascination with Orientalism and the introduction of collections of stories like the Araban Nights provided Dulac with the needed canvas of inspiration. Considering that most of the "gift books" published with his illustrations were ostensibly meant for young readers (a lucretive new book market), Dulac's artwork often employs a darker range of tones than one would expect. This moody atmosphere does not always impart an overall sense of negativity, gloominess, or evil though, as Dulac uses carefully placed lighting sources and jewel-like colours to create a sense of mystery and richness. Obviously this book only collects a small portion of his artwork, but eventually I would like to see his pieces as they were meant to be seen - alongside the stories which they illustrate. ( )