Enchanted: A History of Fantasy Illustration – Norman Rockwell Museum USA

Fictional worlds of magic and adventure come to life through fantasy illustration. Myths, legends, fables, romance, and epic battles involving swords and sorcery occur in a world unfamiliar to us. Unlike science fiction, which is based on fact, fantasy presents an imaginative reality built on universal themes—heroes defeating fire-breathing dragons, angels and demons engaging in combat, and mythological tales of love and loss.

For thousands of years, mankind has depicted analogous fantastic themes in numerous cultures. Noted scholar of mythology, Joseph Campbell, claimed that mankind creates fantasy to help us understand the universe and our existence, delineate good and evil, and teach us how to thrive through adversity. Representations of dreams and nightmares, fictional creatures, and gods and monsters are made real through visual portrayals in fantasy art. Fantasy illustration interprets the imagination of the “undiscovered self.” In a 1929 interview, theoretical physicist Albert Einstein asserted, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”