Eleanor Vere Boyle

Eleanor Vere Boyle (née Gordon; 1 May 1825 – 29 July 1916) was a Scottish artist of the Victorian era whose work consisted mainly of watercolor illustrations in children's books.

"[2] However, even though she was one of the first woman artists to be recognized for her achievements, she did not exhibit or sell work often as it was not acceptable given her family's aristocratic background.

[5] Boyle's fascination of nature strongly influenced her later work, which primarily consisted of garden books after her husband died.

With Boyle's ability to translate it into visual form with her own slightly sinister taste, this edition was made to be one of the most cohesive between illustration and writing.

[6] Some of the most highly acclaimed illustrations from this book include: "The Snow Queen," The Wild Swans," "The Ugly Duckling," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbkinetta," "The Garden of Paradise," "The Fellow Traveller" (which inspired Tolkien's The Hobbit) and "The Angel.

"[3] Three years later, in 1875, Boyle created what is considered one of her greatest works, a retelling and illustration of the story Beauty and the Beast.

[7] Ros Rosarum Ex Horto Poetarum is subtitled "Dew of the Ever-living Rose, Gathered from the Poets' Gardens of Many Lands".

Her last work came eight years prior to her death: The Peacock's Pleasaunce (1908), a collection of twelve essays (considered belles-lettres) accompanied by eight of her own illustrations.