An unusually large saucepan flew close by it, and very nearly carried it off - Arthur Rackham
Archival giclée
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Description
A classic illustration by Arthur Rackham from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, capturing the chaotic kitchen scene with fine ink lines and soft watercolour.
This illustration by Arthur Rackham depicts a chaotic scene from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Specifically, it captures the moment in the Duchess's kitchen where the cook throws various kitchen implements, including a large saucepan, at the Duchess and Alice. Rackham, a master of the pen-and-ink medium, employs his characteristic style of fine, controlled lines combined with muted watercolour washes to bring this surreal environment to life.
The composition is filled with motion. Plates and pans fly through the air, suspended in a cloud of steam and debris. Rackham uses his signature gnarled, expressive line work to define the figures, particularly the Duchess with her sharp features and the frantic cook. The background is rendered with a sense of depth, yet the focus remains on the immediate, frenetic action occurring in the foreground. The muted palette of browns, greys, and soft blues creates a sense of age and atmosphere, typical of the Edwardian era's approach to book illustration.
Rackham's interpretation of Carroll's work is celebrated for its ability to balance the whimsical with the slightly grotesque. His attention to detail, from the texture of the wooden floorboards to the swirling clouds of steam, demonstrates his technical skill. This print offers a window into the imaginative world of early 20th-century British illustration, where the artist's hand is visible in every stroke. It is a piece that captures the absurdity of the narrative while maintaining a cohesive visual structure.
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
An unusually large saucepan flew close by it, and very nearly carried it off - 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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