Masterpieces of Fantasy Art

This tome has it all, with works by over 100 renowned fantasy artists including Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, Philippe Druillet, Frank Frazetta, H.R. Giger, The Brothers Hildebrandt, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Moebius, Rowena Morrill, and Michael Whelan, whose featured works are supported by initial sketches and other behind-the-scenes developmental materials for a deep dive into this dynamic genre!

Fantasy art, that colorful blend of myth, muscle and sexy maidens, took off in 1923 with the launch of Weird Tales magazine, was reinvigorated in the 1960s with The Lord of the Rings and Conan the Barbarian paperbacks with Frazetta covers, and the late ’60s emergence of fantasy psychedelia. It went big in the ’70s with the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, the brilliant French magazine Métal Hurlant, and the first Star Wars film in 1977. The number of active artists peaked in that decade, but a new generation of fans discovered the genre through fantasy trading card games in the ’90s, leading to a massive interest in the art form today.

Masterpieces of Fantasy Art features original paintings, contextualized by preparatory sketches, sculptures, calendars, magazines, and paperback books, for an immersive journey into this dynamic, fanciful genre. Insightful biographies go beyond Wikipedia to give a more accurate and eye-opening look into the life of each artist. In short, it's a fantasy art collection that will reign as one of the most exquisite and informative guides to this popular subject for years to come!