The Hero Rests - Fantasy and Legend Art Print

The caption "He lay awhile conscious of great comfort" was written by Justus Miles Forman in his book The Island of Enchantment (1905) to accompany this scene of rest by Howard Pyle. The book, a tale based in medieval times, follows a young hero named Zuan Gradenigo in his adventures, which Pyle rendered in his stately style. See our entire Fantasy & Legend Collection!

Howard Pyle (1853–1911), often hailed as the "Father of American Illustration," significantly shaped the landscape of illustration during the Golden Age of Illustration. Renowned for his vibrant and detailed works depicting fantasy, legend, and history, he not only established the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art in Wilmington, Delaware, but also mentored and trained numerous aspiring artists at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry. His teaching methods, emphasizing a strong narrative quality in illustration, played a pivotal role in elevating American illustration as a respected art form. Among his notable students were luminaries such as N.C. Wyeth, Sarah Stilwell Weber, and Jessie Willcox Smith, each achieving remarkable success in their artistic careers. He founded an artist colony, the Brandywine School, near the Brandywine River in Delaware, with both its style and its students (and their subsequent students) sometimes referred to as being of the Brandywine School. Notably, he never accepted payment for his teaching services. Furthermore, his classes boasted a groundbreaking fifty percent female student enrollment—a remarkable ratio that positively influenced the landscape for successful working female artists. Additionally, he authored and illustrated captivating stories, with The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883) standing out as a classic still in print today. An intriguing footnote to Pyle's legacy is that his illustrations of pirates are said by some to be the inspiration for our modern stereotype of pirate dress!

Our prints are suitable for framing or can be used as is for wall display.

This product was custom designed and created at our location in Seattle.

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