At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her - Arthur Rackham
Archival giclée
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Description
A classic illustration by Arthur Rackham from his 1907 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, capturing the chaotic moment the playing cards swarm Alice.
This illustration depicts a climactic moment from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, specifically the final scene where the protagonist confronts the Queen of Hearts and her court. Arthur Rackham, a central figure in the British Golden Age of Illustration, produced this work for the 1907 edition of the book published by William Heinemann. His approach to the scene captures the chaotic energy of the playing cards as they swarm around Alice, who is shown in a defensive posture.
Rackham employs his characteristic technique of combining delicate pen and ink outlines with muted watercolour washes. The palette relies on earthy tones, sepia, and soft greys, which allow the subtle pinks of Alice's dress to emerge without disrupting the overall tonal harmony. The composition is dynamic, with the cards arranged in a swirling motion that draws the eye across the frame. Rackham's attention to detail is evident in the anthropomorphic expressions given to the playing cards, which add a sense of unease to the fantastical narrative.
Unlike earlier depictions of Alice, Rackham presents her with a more grounded, realistic appearance, reflecting his interest in capturing human emotion within surreal environments. The work demonstrates his skill in balancing the whimsical nature of the story with a sophisticated, almost sombre aesthetic. This print offers a view into the early twentieth-century tradition of gift-book illustration, where technical precision met imaginative storytelling. The original work remains a primary example of how Rackham interpreted classic literature through his unique visual lens, focusing on the tension between the human subject and the surrounding environment.
Return policy
Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her - Arthur Rackham
Artist Biography
Arthur Rackham
He came back to London and got a job as an insurance clerk at the Westminster Fire Office, studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art. In 1892 he left insurance for the Westminster Budget, where he worked as a reporter and illustrator. The illustration work took over. His watercolour of Winchelsea had already been accepted by the Royal Academy and sold for two guineas when he was twenty-one.
He met the painter Edyth Starkie over a garden fence. She encouraged him to stop imitating other illustrators and follow his own instinct, which ran toward twisted trees, gnarled roots and creatures that lived in the gaps between the real and the imagined. They married in 1903. That same year he illustrated The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, which was reprinted twice and made his name.
His style fused northern European line drawing (Durer, Altdorfer) with Japanese woodblock composition. The trees have faces. The roots have fingers. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Rip Van Winkle followed, the latter a turning point in book production: its fifty-one colour plates demonstrated that colour-separated printing could accurately reproduce original artwork.
Guillermo del Toro cited Rackham as an influence on the Faun in Pan's Labyrinth. Brian Froud credited him with sparking an interest in fairy illustration. He worked until the end: his final commission, The Wind in the Willows, was completed in 1939 shortly before his death at seventy-one.
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