American gothic …
It is easy to forget that Quentin Blake’s grotesques aren’t the only images to accompany Roald Dahl’s tales. In 1961, young Nancy Ekholm Burkert illustrated his kids’ story James and the Giant Peach as a gothic fairytale, rooted in her observations of flora and fauna.
Plenty of bite …
This illustration captures some of its most memorable qualities: the Alice in Wonderland-esque play with scale and its thrilling swings between menace and bliss. Here, the threat of being eaten by sharks offsets the fantasy of sinking one’s teeth into a huge blushing peach.
Bearing fruit …
Serendipity brought the young illustrator and Dahl together. She had submitted a book to Dahl’s US publisher, Alfred Knopf, who thought she’d be a good match.
A fine line …
Her sharp lines recall the precise foaming waves of Japanese seascapes. But she didn’t look at Asian art until later. The likeness was perhaps filtered through her early inspiration, Arthur Rackham, whose scenes were influenced by Japanese woodblock prints.
Part of James’ Peachy Pictures, Roald Dahl Museum, Great Missenden, to 29 Sep
