Fairy Art

Fairies are among the most popular subjects for art, including paintings. Fairy paintings are generally illustrations of fairies and are shown with extreme detail. This type of art is closely linked to Great Britain during the Victorian Era.

Fairy painting actually came from different literary and theatrical pieces of Romanticism. This inspiration was then brought towards the Victorian Era where it was seen as a form of escapism. Among the strongest influences for fairy art were literary classics such as “The Temptest” and “A Midsummer Night's Dream,” both written by William Shakespeare. Alexander Pope's “The Rape of the Lock” and Edmund Spenser's “The Faerie Queen” were also a part of the fairy art influence.

Fairy painting or fairy art had its peak during the Victorian era. Among the earliest known artists of fairy painting were William Blake and Henry Fuseli, but the most notable fairy painter is Richard Dadd, whose work was produced while inside a psychiatric ward, as he was suspected to be schizophrenic. Richard Dadd produced magnificent works with an extremely detailed style. Although he was dubbed as schizophrenic, his work was well received and was described as “exquisitely ideal.” Dadd's most popular work is the “Fairy Feller's Master Stroke,” which was completed with a poem about his mythical subjects.

Another famed fairy painting artist was John Anster Fitzgerald. His work was largely identified for its Christmas theme and was shown in London's Royal Academy.

Fairy art is now seeing a modern revival with the help of artists such as Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, as well as the works of Brian Froud. Fairy art is commonly seen in fantasy books. Depictions of fairies are now also seen in various other forms such as needle craft, figurative art, quilting, ceramics, clothing designs, and even tattoos.