On to Through the Looking Glass

Well, even though I’ve completed my copies of all of forty two of Sir John Tenniel’s original illustrations for Alice in Wonderland this is no time for resting on my laurels. I’ve still got thirty five of the original illustrations to Alice Through the Looking Glass to make.

And so to Alice’s Adventures Through The Looking Glass. Now, when I completed my copies of the illustrations to Alice in Wonderland I had also already made copies of fifteen of the illustrations for Looking Glass. This meant that the total stood at 57 out of 92 in total, and 15 out of 50 for Looking Glass.

Carroll had made an inspired choice in persuading Tenniel to illustrate the first book, especially since he did consider using his own illustrations. Carroll wrote the original manuscript, as “Alice’s Adventures Underground” in a longhand manuscript which he illustrated himself and presented to Alice Liddell as a Christmas Present in 1863. He was persuaded to engage a professional, and settled on Tenniel. Originally asked for a dozen, Tenniel eventually provided forty two illustrations. Indications are that he found working with Carroll a frustrating experience, which may explain why he was so reluctant to illustrate Carroll’s follow up. Tenniel used the excuse that he was far too busy with his other work, and Carroll did explore the possibility of using other illustrators. Nobody would do it though, and indeed the common point of view was that he must find some way of persuading Tenniel. Eventually he did, although Tenniel said that he would only produce the illustrations required when he could find time away from other work. As a result it was a long time before the book could be published.

Originally the intention was to use Tenniel’s Jabberwocky illustration for the frontispiece. Carroll showed this to a number of friends, too many of whom expressed concern over its frightening appearance, and so he decided to instead use this illustration of the White Knight. Some people believe that the White Knight was based on Tenniel himself. Tenniel always denied this. The White Knight features in quite a few of the illustrations to Looking Glass. Medieval costumes and armour were a subject of interest to Tenniel so one can imagine the pleasure he derived from making the illustrations.

My initial feelings that as a rule the illustrations for Looking Glass are more complex and darker than those for Wonderland seemed to be confirmed. This illustration quite simply took hours to copy. 

16/50 Looking Glass – 58/92 Overall