Richard Doyle (illustrator) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Doyle
Richard Doyle, Dicky, Dick Kitcat
Born	(1824-09-18)18 September 1824 London, England
Died	10 December 1883(1883-12-10) (aged 59) London, England
Nationality	English
Known for	Children's literature

Richard Doyle (born September 18, 1824 – died December 10, 1883) was a talented British artist. He lived during the Victorian era, a time when Queen Victoria ruled England. Richard was famous for his amazing drawings and illustrations. Many of his pictures appeared in a popular magazine called Punch. He even designed the very first cover of Punch! His design for the magazine's title was used for over 100 years.

About Richard Doyle

Richard Doyle was born in London, England, on September 18, 1824. He was one of seven children. His father, John Doyle, was also a well-known artist. John was famous for drawing political cartoons. Richard had three brothers, James, Charles, and Henry Edward Doyle, who also became artists.

Richard did not go to a formal art school. He learned everything he knew from his father's art studio. From a very young age, Richard showed a special talent. He could draw fantastic and sometimes strange scenes. He loved fairy tales throughout his whole life. When he was just twelve years old, he finished his first illustrated book. It was called Home for the Holidays. This book was published after he passed away.

Richard Doyle was the uncle of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is famous for writing the exciting Sherlock Holmes stories.

Richard Doyle's Art Career

Richard Doyle's first published drawings appeared in a funny book called The Eglinton Tournament in 1840. This book was about the Middle Ages and became very popular.

In 1843, when Richard was 19, he started working for Punch. This was a very popular magazine known for its humor and cartoons. He worked there for seven years.

Richard also worked with other famous artists like John Leech. They helped illustrate three Christmas books by the famous writer Charles Dickens. These books were The Chimes (1844), The Cricket on the Hearth (1845), and The Battle of Life (1846).

Fairy Tale Illustrations

In 1846, Richard Doyle became well-known for his fairy tale art. This happened after he illustrated The Fairy Ring. It was a new translation of Grimm's famous tales. After this, in 1849, he created drawings for Fairy Tales from All Nations. This book was a huge success! Richard loved fairy mythology, and he filled his drawings with elves, pixies, and other magical creatures.

After these successes, Richard illustrated many more fantasy books. These included The Enchanted Doll (1849) and The Story of Jack and the Giants (1850). He also illustrated John Ruskin's The King of the Golden River (1850). This book was so popular that it had three printings in its first year.

Later Works and Challenges

Richard Doyle also wrote for Punch magazine. He had a series of articles called "Manners and Customes of ye Englyshe." In 1850, he left Punch magazine. He was a very religious Roman Catholic. He disagreed with the magazine's views on "papal aggression," which was a term used for the Pope's actions in England. After leaving Punch, he spent his time drawing for books and painting with watercolors.

He published his own books, which made him even more famous. These included Manners and Customs of Ye Englishe (1849) and Bird's Eye View of Society (1864).

One of his most important works was In Fairyland, a series of Pictures from the Elf World. This book had a poem by William Allingham. It was published in 1869. The book had 16 colorful plates and 36 line drawings. It is considered one of the best examples of Victorian book production. The pictures from this book were also used in The Princess Nobody (1884).

Richard Doyle was a brilliant artist, but he was sometimes unreliable. For example, he was often late with his drawings for The Newcomes. He only finished them when the writer, Thackeray, threatened to hire another artist. Richard's excuses were sometimes silly. Once, he said he couldn't meet a deadline because he "had not got any pencils." This kind of behavior sometimes made it hard for him to succeed. Some books he was supposed to illustrate were never finished because he didn't complete the work.

Richard Doyle signed many of his drawings with a special symbol. It was a small bird standing on the letters 'RD'. This was a playful reference to his nickname, "Dickie," like a "dickie bird."

Gallery

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  Doyle's design for the cover of Punch showing his monogram of a "dickie bird" perched on the initials 'RD' (lower left)

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  Doyle's monogram of a "dickie bird" perched on the initials 'RD'

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  An elf and a fairy kissing, from In Fairy Land (1870)

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  The prince thanking the Water Fairy, image from Princess Nobody (1884), illustrated by Doyle, engraved and coloured by Edmund Evans.

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  Poor little birdie teased, illustrated by Doyle, engraved and coloured by Edmund Evans.

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  Fairy Rings and Toadstools (1875)

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  Under the Dock Leaves: An Autumnal Evening Dream (1878)

Images for kids

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  "Manners and Cvstoms" from the illustrated work Manners and customs of ye Englyshe