Jessie M. King: Illustrations for A HOUSE OF POMEGRANATES by Oscar Wilde

Jessie Marion King (20 March 1875 – 3 August 1949) was a Scottish illustrator known for her illustrated children's books. She also designed bookplates, jewellery and fabric, and painted pottery. King was one of the artists known as the Glasgow Girls. 

 

 

  Jessie M. King 1875

THE YOUNG KING

And, indeed, it was the hunters who had found him, coming upon him almost by chance as, bare-limbed and pipe in hand, he was following the flock of the poor goatherd who had brought him up, and whose son he had always fancied himself to be. 

 

...the body of the Princess was being lowered into an open grave that had been dug in a deserted churchyard, beyond the city gates, a grave where it was said that another body was also lying, that of a young man of marvellous and foreign beauty, whose hands were tied behind him with a knotted cord, and whose breast was stabbed with many red wounds.

 

Then the negroes seized the youngest of the slaves and knocked his gyves off, and filled his nostrils and his ears with wax, and tied a big stone round his waist.  He crept wearily down the ladder, and disappeared into the sea.  A few bubbles rose where he sank.  Some of the other slaves peered curiously over the side.  At the prow of the galley sat a shark-charmer, beating monotonously upon a drum.
 

And the young King came down from the high altar, and passed home through the midst of the people.  But no man dared look upon his face, for it was like the face of an angel.

THE BIRTHDAY OF THE INFANTA

On ordinary days she was only allowed to play with children of her own rank, so she had always to play alone, but her birthday was an exception, and the King had given orders that she was to invite any of her young friends whom she liked to come and amuse themselves with her.

 

But somehow the Birds liked him.  They had seen him often in the forest, dancing about like an elf after the eddying leaves, or crouched up in the hollow of some old oak-tree, sharing his nuts with the squirrels.

He would bring her acorn-cups and dew-drenched anemones, and tiny glow-worms to be stars in the pale gold of her hair.

 

THE FISHERMAN AND HIS SOUL

 

By the itching of her palm the young Witch knew his coming, and she laughed and let down her red hair.  With her red hair falling around her, she stood at the opening of the cave, and in her hand she had a spray of wild hemlock that was blossoming.

 

.. and on the morning of the seventh day I lifted up my eyes, and lo! the city lay at my feet, for it is in a valley.

 

 

As she went in, she turned round and smiled at me again.  I had never seen any one so pale.

 

and I found myself in a watered garden of seven terraces.  It was planted with tulip-cups and moonflowers, and silver-studded aloes.  Like a slim reed of crystal a fountain hung in the dusky air.  The cypress-trees were like burnt-out torches.  From one of them a nightingale was singing.     

                

And when he had laid out the carpet on the floor, he struck with a quill on the wire strings of his lute, and a girl whose face was veiled ran in and began to dance before us.  Her face was veiled with a veil of gauze, but her feet were naked.  Naked were her feet, and they moved over the carpet like little white pigeons.  Never have I seen anything so marvellous; and the city in which she dances is but a day’s journey from this place.’

 And the black waves came hurrying to the shore, bearing with them a burden that was whiter than silver.  White as the surf it was, and like a flower it tossed on the waves.  And the surf took it from the waves, and the foam took it from the surf, and the shore received it, and lying at his feet the young Fisherman saw the body of the little Mermaid.  Dead at his feet it was lying.

 

 

THE STAR-CHILD

 

And he cried out to his comrade that he had found the treasure that had fallen from the sky, and when his comrade had come up, they sat them down in the snow, and loosened the folds of the cloak that they might divide the pieces of gold.  But, alas! no gold was in it, nor silver, nor, indeed, treasure of any kind, but only a little child who was asleep.

 

 

Now there passed one day through the village a poor beggar-woman.  Her garments were torn and ragged, and her feet were bleeding from the rough road on which she had travelled, and she was in very evil plight.  And being weary she sat her down under a chestnut-tree to rest.

And he bound the eyes of the Star-Child with the scarf of figured silk, and led him through the house, and through the garden of poppies, and up the five steps of brass.  And having opened the little door with his ring he set him in the street.