Review: 'The Art of Fantasy: A Visual Sourcebook of All That is Unreal' by S. Elizabeth

I have absolutely adored the sourcebooks S. Elizabeth has created for Quarto over the last few years, from The Art of the Occult to The Art of Darkness. From these rather "dark" themes, we are now moving into something potentially a little lighter, which is The Art of Fantasy. It should be absolutely no surprise for anyone that I was enraptured by the works S. Elizabeth has once again curated. Thanks to S. Elizabeth and Quarto for sending me a physical copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 9/13/2023
Publisher: Quarto; Frances Lincoln

The Art of Fantasy is a visual sourcebook of all that is fantastical, presenting a mesmerising and thoughtful curation of artworks inspired by the unreal.

Artists have explored imaginary worlds and fantastical creatures for centuries, but what draws them to the impossible, the mystical and the unknown? Or are they seeking a greater understanding of the human experience, perhaps even the very meaning of life itself?

From Impossible Monsters to Forgotten Realms & Wonderlands, Faith & Philosophy to How to Save the World, S. Elizabeth explores how these visual flights of fancy and imagination have changed over the course of time. An inspiring collection for fans of myth, magic, fantasy and art history.

This sourcebook begins with an introduction which asks the all-important questions about where we disappear to when we close our eyes, what we become in our imaginations, and what our version of the unreal says about us. I just have to quote this line from the introduction:

'The creation of art has always been one of the most expressive and evocative ways to impart these figments and fragments of imagination, a way to interpret and reveal the exhaustive range of human fears and desires, hopes and dreams - from that of the renowned and beloved mythical and folkloric, to the artist's own innovative and inventive visions.' 8

What I have adored about all of S. Elizabeth's work so far is how she never shies away from stating just how important art is. So often, lately, I feel like there is a certain genuine passion missing in a lot of media, so many things get treated as a joke so that you can never get called out for really caring about something. None of that is to be found in S. Elizabeth's books. She wholeheartedly loves art, has respect for its creators, and always looks for the different levels of meaning imbued in the work. Her passion always carries through to the reader as well and I just love a book that takes art seriously, that is earnest in its attention. Fantastic Art especially is sometimes put aside as being full of empty symbols or motifs, as something too abstract or dreamy to carry real meaning, so the careful attention paid to it throughout The Art of Fantasy was a breath of fresh air.

As usual, the sourcebook is divided into three parts, 'Beasts & Beings', 'Quest for Knowledge' and 'Worlds Apart', each of which have their own little subsections. 'Beasts & Beings' immediately caught my attention as I'm working on monstrosity at the moment and I loved how S. Elizabeth addressed the various roles monsters and creatures can play,  by showing us what we fear and what we desire. Whether it's the small pet dinosaurs in James Gurney's Garden of Hope, the almost-human Corvid Priestess by Ed Binkley, or the mix between big and small creatures in Eric Velhagen's Little Wings and Heavy Hooves, creatures about in the fantastic. (This section also featured medieval manuscripts and an illustration for Grendel from Beowulf, so I was entirely on board with it!) The next section, 'Quest for Knowledge', starts with a quote from The Neverending Story, so I knew I'd love it. We are all on a quest to get to know the world, to delve into the secrets of the world, and answer the questions that keep us awake at night. From the dreamy The Hand of Creation by Scott Burdick and the delightfully real Curses, Inc. by Tristan Elwell to the mysticism of Pamela Colman Smith's The Wave, this part will have you searching for answers and enjoying the journey. Finally, 'Worlds Apart' explores the wide imaginations of the fantastic. Whether it is the Sci-Fi realm of Fungus Gigantica by Bruce Pennington, potential future travel options in William Heath Robinson's Aerial Life, or the quiet awe of Andy Kehoe's Together Through the Shifting Tides, fantastic art can carry us away and thereby bring us closer to ourselves in unexpected ways. 

I have been repeatedly enthusiastic about S. Elizabeth's work already and I don't want to belabour the point, but I once again thoroughly enjoyed her writing in The Art of Fantasy. It could be easy to think that the main work is in the curation of the art, which is undoubtedly a major part of the work, but the art is accompanied by thoughtful captions and surrounded by introductions and contemplations. Throughout The Art of Fantasy, S, Elizabeth takes the time to explore all the different routes Fantasy can to you on, how it can affect you, help you, maybe even lead you astray. I also really appreciated how her captions to individual art pieces brought out different aspects of the art which I hadn't always noticed at the first or second glance. I again also appreciated the wide variety of art which S. Elizabeth brings together, from tapestries to digital art to oil on canvas. It is also once again widely sources across the last few centuries, from medieval manuscripts to art released in 2022. There is no art snobbery here, all expression is welcome. I also just love the things S. Elizabeth finds out and shares with her readers. Like, I had no idea Victor Hugo knew how to draw?! Apparently we dream an estimated 50,000 hours in our lives?! I can't wait to revisit The Art of Fantasy again and again, discover new things about the art, and learn more from S. Elizabeth's writing.

I give this sourcebook...

5 Universes!

The Art of Fantasy is an absolute winner, a beautiful curation of fantastic art which brings together the mythical and modern, the beautiful and the scary, and the revelatory with the damning. At the risk of repeating myself again, I can't wait to see what S. Elizabeth brings us next!