Elizabeth Ratisseau

This slim, beautiful little volume is very satisfying if you are looking to enjoy the beauty of mermaids. It does not have a lot of "facts" but why would you be searching for facts about mermaids when they inhabit the nebulous realm of magic? This book contains 49 full color illustrations of mermaids, some of the more famous ones like Waterhouse's and Pyle's are included, but so are many that you probably will not have seen before. Ratisseau is a brilliant compiler and she has outdone show more herself here with super research and a flair for the subject. The text consists of many wonderful quotes, again, some famous and some obscure. The page lay-outs are tasty and most of the illustrations have a luminous sea-blue border around them, all printed on quality paper and perfect for gift-giving or for treating yourself. show less

This beautifully crafted little book is a thin volume just 7 1/2" x 8 1/2" with silvery accents on the cover. It is a satisfyingly enchanting compilation of rare fairy art and delightful quotations on the subject of fairies. If you have been a fairy lover for any length of time you will have probably seen a few of these wonderful paintings but most will probably be new to you as Elizabeth Ratisseau has done a brilliant bit of treasure hunting to come up with these images. The work is broken show more down into sections for each of the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, as well as a section on Fairies of Childhood. Usually, I find several disappointing images sprinkled among the good ones in compilations or calendars featuring fairies but each and every one in this book is truly magical, hauntingly fey. show less

A collection of artwork and quotes relating to magic and magicians from history and legend.

I love books like this as it allows me to own a variety of different artworks that I might not have experienced before and this book has a nice variety from different artists and periods. I also enjoyed the different quotes, out takes from stories and poems used to accompany the art, all touching on different aspects of magic and magic users in our culture.

My only complaint is that the artwork is only show more named in the very back and then by book pages, which is annoying since none of the pages in the book are numbered making it difficult to match art with name and artist. show less