THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF JOAN KIDDELL MONROE HD

Firstly I'd like to take this opportunity to express my eternal gratitude to those who helped me get to 100,000 subscriptions, a figure I could never have imagined when I started the channel. So, hopefully it's onwards and upwards and thanks a lot to all of you, especially those who have been with me for the long haul.
Once more find myself with quite a large amount of decent resolution images by the unjustly forgotten British illustrator Joan Kiddell Monroe, with just a few miserable lines of biography to work with. But as always I hope her fascinating and graphically considered images distract you from the lack of narrative substance.

[@albertcscs]

Congrats on breaking the 100k level. This is an excellent tribute to one of the best fantasy artists of the last century. I spent a summer in Mallorca when she and Robert Graves were living there, probably when their book was illustrated. His house was already a tourist attraction. What I like best about her children's books is she never stoops down to simplify the subject, but raises it up for the kids to wonder and marvel. A great illustrator for your series.

[@roccoliuzzi8394]

I wondered if she knew Graves. Thanks for filling me in.

[@petebeard]

Hi and thanks for the comment. She is way too under-appreciated, given her graphic prowess. I could do without Wonk the koala though.

[@BombusMonticola]

Thanks Pete. Great to see her work like this. Where after listening to your commentary I can go back and pause your video and absorb her images at my own need. As a one time illustrator with not a hugely different style myself I found these works of hers inspirational and find myself wanting to sit at the desk with some decent paper and ink.

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your comment and appreciation. And if it has inspired you to create thats a real bonus.

[@stangilliam7530]

As I looked at this video, the early images seemed very familiar in style, and the two color images brought back memories of the children's books I read as a youngster in the 1950s. Gradually the images seemed to develop into more complicated and imaginative works. As I looked at the later illustrations, I marvel at their complexity and imagination. Because she was departing from realistic representation into further abstraction, each element and detail of the pictures had to be re-imagined or resolved in a creative fashion. It strikes me that her success at doing this is the work of a genius, a person of a high order of intellectual development. What an artist!

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your comment, and appreciation of the qualities of Joan Kiddell Monroe's remarkable work. A sadly underappreciated talent.

[@davidglenn5223]

Congratulations on 100k. Wife and I never miss an episode. Watchers from New Zealand

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

Agreed. A watcher in Georgia

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for the appreciation, sunscription and congratulations. It's been a long but very enjoyable ride, and I hope to go further.

[@gerardtessers]

Thank you again for a wonderful artist. Her less-is-more approach works wonders, her animals are beautiful to look at. Very good exotic references!

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your appreciation of her work.

[@rewanji]

What a great artist. Her work was clearly thought to take advantage of limited colour pallets and it worked beautifully. Thanks for another great discovery, Pete. Cheers.

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your comment and appreciation of her distinctive work.

[@botvinss]

Congratulations on 100K! I'm proud to be one of your subscribers! It sure feels like a privilege.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your congratulations, and I hope to make many more videos and gain other subscribers. But if not I'm more than happy with 100k. If only it was reflected in my earnings from youtube (tightfisted devils).

[@shadowxxvii200]

Thank you again.

[@petebeard]

My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@justicecommander9455]

I love the energy that the drawings transmit. Thank you for showcasing this artist.

[@petebeard]

Thanks - I'm pleased you appreciate her work.

[@paillette2010]

Perfection. The narrative text expands my understanding of this wonderful artist. Thank you. A treasure.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your appreciation of her work and my efforts in bringing her to a wider audience.

[@saralight-waller8746]

Very nice! Joan Kiddell-Monroe’s work was extraordinary. As usual, you did an wonderful job of illustrating the illustrator! In general, I’m not particularly fond of the illustration style of the late 1950’s and ‘60’s, but she is an exception. Her heroic tales and mythological illustrations are particularly interesting to me. As you mentioned, her accuracy with the clothing and cultural details was amazing. Thank you for your fine work in bringing her back into the public’s eye. Cheers!

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your comment and appreciation of her work, and my efforts in trying to introduce her remarkable talent to a wider audience.

[@Tarantoga1000]

Another superb illustrator.

[@petebeard]

I'm glad you enjoyed her work. Thanks.

[@davidsobel3303]

Once again a fine study of a previously unknown(to me) illustrator. I find that after watching your videos it spurs me to find any available artwork of theirs to buy...

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment. You may be in luck with regard to her originals - I don't think they fetch all that much at auction as she's so undervalued.

[@kenallison9119]

I especially love her African animals... so sketchy in some ways but absolutely catching the character of the animal.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation of her work.

[@JamesSimmons-d1t]

Born in 1951, and parents bought us many folk tale collections...her work certainly strikes many bells in my eyes, synaesthetically. All but musical. Thank you. Again. Irish, Scots and Japanese collections most of all. Her Arabian Nights art identical to Indian subcontinent miniatures given to my mother by a UN colleague.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your fsvourable response to this video and Kiddell Monroe's compelling illustrations. Such a refreshing change from the more overt realism offered by others in that arena.

[@jeremyacton4569]

This was one illustrator that I instantly recognized, and was glad to learn more about, as I have a copy of "African Myths and Legends" by Kathleen Arnott, from 1962 in the London Oxford Press's series on Mythologies of the world. I would love to own the whole series of these Mythologies, to see the variations of her style as inspired by the different parts of the world. Altho I am not much of a fan of the rather drab colors in her 2 or 3 tone full page illustrations in this series, she had a very consistent approach that I must appreciate. Many thanks for another excellent presentation, Pete.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment, and congratulations - if that's the word - for being one of very few who had previously encountered her highly distinctive work.

[@ingmarvanderhoek6314]

What a truly wonderful artist, I love her use of leaving out backgrounds in her earlier black and white work. Thanks for highlighting this gem of an illustrator. Such a variety of styles she mastered!

[@dlschgo]

What a brilliant career! I loved every image shown. One of the greats.

[@petebeard]

Thanks for yet more appreciation of the content.

[@manuelcapela7620]

👍Thank you. Weekends aren't the same without your videos! 🇬🇧🇵🇹

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment. Ideally I would upload one every week, but there isn't the time to make them more frequent.

[@simonward-horner7605]

Wonderful video, Pete, as usual. Kiddell-Monroe's work is beautiful and touched by genius, also, entirely new to me. Thank you.

[@petebeard]

Thanks and Im delighted to have introduced you to her work.

[@AsaHershoff5]

Thank you for always as a gorgeous display and narration of these brilliant artists. One thing I would love to see though is a photograph when available of these graphic geniuses. I usually look them up at the end in any case to get another dimension towards understanding their extra extraordinary gifts and skills

[@petebeard]

Thanks for your comment and appreciation. If I can find a usable photo of the subject I do use it, but frequently there's nothing or the quality isn't good enough, unfortunately.

[@johngraham4053]

Joan was very original, wonderful simple designs and skill full rendering. Thank you Pete.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation of her work.

[@kismypencek6185]

I love her work so much! Her lines are so confident. I wish i saw her work earlier in my youlth to incorporate into my skill set. I love animal art. Thank you for honoring her and putting words to her design actions. Caligraphic is an awesome word i now know to use. I wish tattoo artists used her work. It makes great flash alchemy indeed🎉🎉🎉

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your appreciation of Joan Kiddell Monroe's underappreciated and almost unknown work. I'm glad you share my high opinion of her talents.

[@matthieujoly]

What a marvel.. That was another incredible moment, another superb discovery ! Thanks to remind us all these talents, Joan Kiddell is really fascinating!

[@petebeard]

I'm pleased you appreciate her distinctive body of work, and my contribution in bringing it to a wider audience.

[@futuristica1710]

Thanks once again, Pete!

[@petebeard]

My pleasure, as always.

[@clealinden7755]

What a revelation! It's so exciting to encounter an artist whose sense of design seems so natural and whose compositions appear, for the most part, devoid of contrivance and strain despite their obvious sophistication; many thanks!

[@petebeard]

Thannks a lot for your appreciation of the video and positive response to Booth's remarkable body of work.

[@citizenronin]

Congrats Pete! It's amazing to see where your channel started out and where it is now. Looking forward to continuing the ride. I think you have single handedly saved the memory of countless unsung illustrators who had fallen into the ether....or had hadn't been widely known at all. Great work as always.

[@petebeard]

I'm very grateful for the level of appreciation you express in your comment. It's a pleasure to know my efforts are valued, so thanks a lot.

[@TheKevphil]

Thanks, Pete, for another great review of another excellent illustrator. And of course, _CONGRATS_ on the big 100!

[@petebeard]

Thannks a lot - on both counts.

[@VITA_AMOR_MORS_PAX]

Thanks for your work!

[@petebeard]

You are always welcome.

[@betrisherninox2865]

Omigoodness! I remember these very distinctive illustrations from a treasured book, 'Scandinavian Legends and Folk Tales', that kept me spellbound during my childhood. There were other titles in the series, many of them illustrated by Joan Kiddell Monroe and I have collected nearly all of them over the past sixty or so years. Thank you so much for this video! You have reminded me of a special time in my life and helped me know more about the interesting woman who illustrated my beloved stories.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your appreciation. She was certainly a highly distinctive talent and I'm only sorry that I couldn't find much in the way of biographical information.

[@lostonwallace1396]

Wow! I love her work! I love her limited palette work! Just beautiful work! Her sense of design was unbelievable, and the balance she achieved between narrative storytelling, abstract shapes, and beautiful graphic design is really something special to behold. Visually stunning work!

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your appreciation of Kiddell Monroe's highly distinctive output. I don't know how financially succeeful she was, but its good to know that illustrators can put the aesthetic before the commercial and still make a living.

[@lostonwallace1396]

@@petebeard Well, success financially is indeed one thing, but to succeed at creating such beautiful work to stand up to the test of time as she has is absolutely amazing! I have to seek out her work. It's love her aesthetic. She was very skilled and wonderfully clever.

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

Very suggestive illustrations with a peculiar style and charme. Thanks for introducing me to yet another exceptional yet not enough praised and known artist.

[@petebeard]

Thanks for the comment and I'm pleased to have made the introduction.

[@bigblue6917]

Thanks, Pete, for introducing us to such a talented artist. I particularly love the two and three toned images with the black and white portrayals being my favourites. Thanks.

[@petebeard]

I'm glad you enjoyed her work. Thanks for the comment.

[@nexussever]

Thanks, I needed that.

[@petebeard]

Glad to oblige.

[@josefschiltz2192]

What an extraordinary artist. An old and late illustrator friend of mine was born and raised in Clacton-upon-sea and I am very surprised that he never mentioned her! Pretty sure he would have known about her.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment and I'm gld to have introduced you to her work. Not many do know about her, sadly.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Always entertaining. Thanks 🙂

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your appreciation.

[@maghurt]

Excellent, as usual. Thank you, Pete.

[@petebeard]

Your appreciation is very welcome - thanks.

[@mijiyoon5575]

Congratulations on 100K

[@eamonnclabby7067]

Cheers, Pete, another hidden gem, thanks as always....E

[@petebeard]

Hello Eamonn. Thanks for the comment, and I don't know about you but I'm seriously considering hibernation.

[@eamonnclabby7067]

😅😅😅😅😅

[@WaterBearReads]

This was a wonderful presentation. I ran to see if my version of 'The Cat who went to Heaven' was illustrated by her but it was not. I will look out for JKM's work as I find it just beautiful. Thank you so much for this video!! Happy Holidays!

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your appreciation, and I'm very pleased you share my high opinion of her talents.

[@mijiyoon5575]

Those single color paired w/ black images are beautiful. I'm going to try that technique w/ some of my own work🎨🖌

[@BlueBaron3339]

Such breadth and versitility! Powered not just by artistic talent and skill, I also sense a powerful intellect behind this work. And limitless curiosity clearly. Again, thank you Pete 😀

[@petebeard]

Thanks, and such are the general traits of the better illustrators. On the other hand I've known some who were thick as mud...

[@BlueBaron3339]

@@petebeard That made me laugh! Not sure if it's a matter of intellect or something else that roots some artists into a style they stick with and improve upon over the years. Her work otoh seems to be an unending process of developing approaches - a talent for exploration born of a fertile mind and imagination. And no "off" switch.

[@ingmarvanderhoek6314]

Aesop Fables is a perfect summary of her work: vignettes, limited use of color and very clear lines that comics artists Herge and EP Jacobs would admire. At one point I thought: Aubrey Beardsley et voila. Many thanks, once again!

[@saundrasaumay9767]

Thanks & a huge congrats on 100k subscribers. I confess I have been a little obsessed, watching & hoping you would receive them by the end of year, and like you wrote, onwards and upwards, for your wonderful channel!

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your comment, and I must admit as the total subscriptions advanced - seemingly at a snail's pace - towards the magic number I took to looking on the hour. I don't know why I was so bothered about it, but now I'm just going to forge ahead without regard for numbers - up or down.

[@saundrasaumay9767]

yes, it felt like a snail's pace from my perspective as well. I will say that I believe that the appreciation and loyalty of your subscribers are like a channel 100 times this size.

[@TheMarkEH]

Another excellent episode Pete. A talented illustrator. I like the full colour works best.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for another favourable comment.

[@TheArghnono]

Congrats on 100K. Well deserved for the amazing videos you produce.

[@petebeard]

Your congratulations - and comment - are both very welcome. Thanks a lot.

[@06L]

If you had to compare the quality of video content with the number of subscriptions on KZbin, you would have exceeded millions long ago! Bravo and thank you for being so inspiring!

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your particularly flattering estimation of my work with the channel. To be honest I never imagined I'd have even 1000 subscribers.

[@06L]

@@petebeard You’re not the only one to discover hidden talents ;-)

[@06L]

I found you !

[@tompuce84]

Beautiful !

[@petebeard]

Thanks for your appreciation.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

fabulous content, as always, sir!

[@petebeard]

Thanks as always for your appreciation.

[@wemblyfez]

Beautiful as always, Pete. Not familiar with Monroe though the works do seem oddly familiar. Always impressed with artists with a feeling for naturalist animals and she's no exception. Loved the wide range of subject matter/stories as well, proof a real pro can handle anything. Have a great remaining weekend, looking forward to the next video. Stay sane and healthy! Cheers, mon ami.

[@petebeard]

Hi and thanks as always for your ongoing support and engagement with me/the channel. For me it's the Aesop's style that really tickles my fancy, so to speak. As your hosts are fond of saying "Chacun à son goût"

[@mikedirle520]

What a broad and varied creativity! I love the textures. I wonder how fun it is for you to research and gather all of the art and history? It's delightful to observe you many representations. I hope they (you!) will go on for years! Tnx!

[@petebeard]

Hi Mike and thanks as always. The research is a bit like fishing (although I haven't done that since I was a kid). There's real pleasure in hooking something big, but it's frustrating when you realise there aren't any more in the pond. I intend to carry on for as long as I can find material to do so.

[@travcat66]

Hi, I’m an Aussie, and worked in 3 small town libraries for46 years, 30 years in the last one. I probably have 3 or four of her books, but I can’t check because I’m out travelling around Australia. I’ve been enjoying the artists you present, thank you very much.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your appreciation, and congratulations - if that's the appropriate word - on being one of very few viewers previously aware of Keddell Monroe's marvellous work.

[@allangardiner2515]

It was her illustrated child's retelling of The Odyssey (which is not mentioned here) that had a huge effect on me in fifth grade. It stands with The Illiad and the Anaeid (Virgil's story is, of course, anti-Greek rather than Greek) and a few other related stories as evidence of her reimagining of the classical vase figure style in a breathtaking display. Mr Beard accurately describes her other styles as well, of course. Fantastic video!

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment. And it's typical of the hit and miss nature of the research process (well, mine at least) that The Odyssey did not appear among the other images I found. Something always gets under the radar.

[@tnovail]

I was hoping you would cover her work one day! Excellent video! I’ve spent many hours leafing through my copy of her Aesop’s Fables.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your commet and appreciation. Her Aesop's images are for me the most fascinating too. Talk about less being more...

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

This looks good.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot.

[@lorivaldorocha7520]

Olá Pete, parabéns pelos 100k. O seu trabalho é maravilhoso em resgatar grandes artistas da ilustração, eu passei a conhecer muitos deles através do seu canal. E a escolha do fundo musical também é especial. Parece que não há música até o término da sua narração, mas ela surge com as últimas imagens e deixa uma nostalgia inexplicável. É assim que eu me sinto. Obrigado

[@petebeard]

Sua apreciação pelo meu trabalho tentando levar esses ilustradores a um público mais amplo é muito apreciada. Muito obrigado pelo seu apoio.

[@12theotherandrew]

I particularly like the uncluttered nature of her work. She give the viewer room and time to think about it and play with the images, so I prefer the simpler use of colour. The splattered ink background was a very clever addition, not crowding the image yet showing it off.

[@petebeard]

Thanks for the comment, and I wish I had thought to use the word 'uncluttered'. Very apt.

[@garymcguire8529]

Joan Kiddell Monroe, has a very similar to Ralph Thompson, a wildlife artist from the 1960's, who was famous for illustrating books by Gerald Durrell, and doing an old BBC interlude painting on television of Japanese style painting of a Grasshopper, set to Japanese music, but I noticed that Joan Kiddell Monroe, must have never seen a young Bush Pig, as they are striped like humbugs, As always an enjoyable video.

[@petebeard]

Thanks for the comment and appreciation. Ralph Thompson will be making an appearance in my history of wildlife illustration - when/if I ever get the thing finished. It will be an epic, given how much there is to look at.

[@garymcguire8529]

@@petebeard I have a spare copy of Ralph Thompson's book, An Artist Safari If you want it.

[@petebeard]

@@garymcguire8529 Hi again and many thanks for your generous offer, but I'll pass. His work isn't really my kind of thing and it should go to someone who would appreciate it more.

[@garymcguire8529]

Okay will do.

[@vaughngaminghd]

Congratulations on reaching 100K subscribers Pete! You're the beloved illustration art history teacher I never had… A toast to you tonight!!🥂 Cheers!

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot, and that's avery nice thing to say. It's greatly appreciated.

[@TexRenner]

Thanks.

[@petebeard]

You're welcome

[@jasonbevan6275]

Great documentary. Have you come across Franciszka Themerson? There's a w Wikipedia article. A Polish artist, she illustrated King Ubu for Alfred Jarry amongst other things. I know her 91 year old niece who is always talking about her and her husband Stefan. They were both quite prominent in the Avant Garde.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation. And as luck would have it Franciszka Themerson is already on my 'to do' list. But I should warn you she's not all that near the front and the queue is dauntingly long. Hopefully I'll get there before I fall off my own perch.

[@jasonbevan6275]

@@petebeard I am glad she's on your list. When she rises to the top, do remember my post. I can put you in touch with her niece who has much of her output and hosts her archive if that would be helpful.

[@RichardLaurence]

The Irresponsible Goat is available on Amazon!

[@SaraMercer-v6i]

I didn't own any of her books. I must have borrowed many of them from the library. They seem familiar. Her animals and suggestions of movement in a scene was lovely.

[@petebeard]

I'm glad you enjoy her work. Thanks a lot for the comment.

[@ianscheid5032]

I wonder if you will ever produce a collected Video archive on a website or Patreon!!

[@petebeard]

Thanks for the comment, and I wouldnt rule anytging out. But making the videos takes up so much of my time there's not really any room at the moment for diversifiation. But I will see what the deal is with Patreon.

[@dlschgo]

Folks, keep on LIKING/SUBSCRIBING. If any channel deserves a million subscribers it is this one. Broadcast quality content requiring many, many, hours of research, writing, and production delivered every week for free, all with a real human voiceover that amplifies the viewing experience to another level. Shares this wonderful content whenever and wherever you can. We all need beauty in our lives.

[@petebeard]

Your mission to encourage more subscriptions is greatly appreciated by this old chap, so thanks a lot for your continued support. Having made the 100,000 I feel somewhat vindicated, and while a million is completely unthinkable, all new subscribers will be equally welcome (if late for the party). Thanks again.

[@dlschgo]

@@petebeard The best part is that newcomers will have more archived content than they can shake a stick at!

[@pattheplanter]

Her work seemed very familiar but I couldn't place it until the Tales from the Marble Mountain was mentioned. One of my favourite books as a very young child.

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your comment.

[@wynnschaible]

Another artist drawing great depth and sustenance from the myths of the whole world. But...the Aeneid is a Latin poem. By Virgil!

[@petebeard]

Ah...that's me all over. Never read the classics, or much else for that matter. Mostly comics.

[@wynnschaible]

@@petebeard And I bet they weren't "Classics Illustrated" either!

[@jill-ti7oe]

👍

[@TheCthogua]

Wow, it's a shame so little is recorded about her non professional life. She seems like someone who probably had a pretty interesting life, as well as very obviously being a keen observer of world cultures and art styles. Probably would have been a fascinating person to sit and have a chat with.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment. And sadly it's frequently the case that there is very little biography to be had. At least we have the work.

[@mijiyoon5575]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@brucealanwilson4121]

Again, I recognize the art, but didn't know the artist's name or anything about her.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your comment, as always.

[@1964_AMU]

J'ai toujours cru que c'était des lithographies et que les éditeurs avaient enlevé des couleurs par souci d'économie....

[@petebeard]

Merci pour le commentaire. Il s'agissait de lithographies mais pas réalisées sur pierre. Du papier et de l'encre avec des superpositions de couleurs

[@Die.Trying]

So much movement and life in every picture. I'm amazed. I especially love her animals

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your comment and I'm glad you share my high opinion of her distinctive work.