Enduring Children's Classics, and the Illustrators we love
The illustrators
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, first published in October of 1847
I am excited to present the illustrated versions of my favorite classic: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë!
When first I embarked upon this “explore”, I had no idea how many illustrated versions of Jane Eyre have been published. What a pleasant surprise!
Charlotte Brontë was asked by her publishers to illustrate an edition of Jane Eyre. However, she declined, feeling her artistic talent not up to the task.
The first illustrated edition of Jane Eyre was published in 1872 and was illustrated by E.M. Wimperis. However, he depicted houses and locations rather than characters or scenes of action from the story. Some of his illustrations can be seen in the “Various Artists” edition below (pictures to follow). Thank you kindly to the Brontë Parsonage Museum for this, as well as the above information in regard to Charlotte Brontë.
Below, I have featured those of my favorites that I was able to find through a library or within easy availability on the new/secondhand market, beginning with the 1890 edition (newly published) featuring the illustrations of Edmund H. Garrett. I hope you enjoy this post!
Edmund H. Garrett
The earliest illustrated edition that I have been able to find available for purchase is Edmund H. Garrett’s version illustrated with around 50 drawings made up of full-page, spot, and chapter heading illustrations. At present I believe he is the first illustrator, outside of E.M. Wimperis, to have illustrated Jane Eyre, and since E.M. Wimperis’ artwork was made up of only houses and locations, Garrett’s is the first to illustrate scenes from the story.
Edmund H. Garrett was born in Albany, New York but traveled extensively in artistic study. He also worked in watercolor, but the majority of his illustration work seems to be etchings and line work. He has illustrated many classics – Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and several of Alexandre Dumas works to name but a few- but they are a bit difficult to get a hold of today, so I am grateful to have found this easily available copy of Jane Eyre.
Originally published 1890 by Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
This copy independently published 2020
Find It:
∞ Amazon
F.H. Townsend
British illustrator and cartoonist, Frederick Henry Townsend, is often incorrectly attributed with being the first illustrator of Jane Eyre.
Although he may not be the first, his artwork is most numerously featured in Jane Eyre reprints of historical value, and boasts sixteen beautiful black and white illustrations from the edition he illustrated in 1897.
Also serving as art editor for Punch magazine, Townsend’s other work includes an illustrated version of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of Seven Gables.
Originally published by Service & Paton, 1897
This Copy published by Trident Press, Signature Classics, 2000
Below link is to the SeaWolf Press Edition (both hard and soft cover).
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Edmund Dulac
Jane Eyre is a special book in the career of Golden Age great, Edmund Dulac, as it was the first book he was commissioned to illustrate, when he was only twenty-two years old. It was the first in a commission to illustrate all nine of the Bronte sister’s novels.
Twelve full-color, full page illustrations, including a frontispiece.
This version is by J.M. Dent & Sons LTD, 1922
Find it:
∞ Abebooks
(I have not been able to find any great copies sold new but will update if I do!)
Various Artists
I was surprised to discover how difficult it is to find an annotated version currently on the market.
This edition, featuring artwork by various artists, is wonderful with relevant portraiture, location photography and story illustration to accompany anecdotal information. It is the only annotated version with illustration that I currently have confidence in. I will update this post if I find something better, as this one is rare. I do have a link below, but you may do better checking for it at your local library, as I did.
I did not picture them, but I believe this edition may contain the artwork of aforementioned “first illustrator” E.M. Wimperis. I will double check and update this post.
New York Dodd, Mead & Company (Great Illustrated Classics series), 1941
Find it:
∞ Abebooks
Fritz Eichenberg
German-American wood engraver, Fritz Eichenberg’s version is splendid and well-priced on the secondhand market at the time of this writing, making it, in my opinion, the most valuable version to own for the money. It is gorgeous! Eichenberg’s wood engravings are moving with the most intimate detail. My most cherished edition.
Fritz Eichenberg was born in Cologne, Germany to a Jewish, albeit non-practicing, family. As he was a public criticizer of the Nazi party, he and his wife and children left Germany for their safety, settling in New York City.
He has illustrated many books including a companion Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. I featured his illustrated edition of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book in my “Illustrator Explore” of that title, which you can see here.
New York Random House, 1943
Find it:
∞ Abebooks
Edward A. Wilson
This is a precious one and I am delighted!
Edward Arthur Wilson was born in Glasgow, Scotland and with his family later settled in Chicago. He studied under well-known illustrator Howard Pyle and became one of the foremost illustrators of his time. Other classic works he has illustrated include Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe.
One, sometimes two or three, illustrations per chapter. Charming, full page, one- or two-color illustrations are accompanied by first word drop caps of each chapter. The very first chapter is adorned with a chapter heading illustration. An absolute favorite!
Random House,(Illustrated Modern Library), 1944
Find it:
∞ Abebooks
Nell Booker
Alternating full color washes with black and white line drawings gives this illustrated version by Nell Booker a whimsical, wonderful feel.
This book was Nell Booker’s first job after she completed study at the University of North Carolina. In the introduction by May Lamberton Becker, the author notes how Booker made herself completely familiar with the area and period costume of the time, and described creating the pictures to “bringing up a family-and dressing it!”
I also love that there is an illustration of the “apostles cabinet” from Chapter 20, (the real version of which you can find at the Bronte Museum).
Nell Booker has also illustrated a version of Wuthering Heights and The Scarlet Letter.
World Publishing Company, 1946 (There are other “Nell Booker” editions)
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Skip Liepke
The jewel of the seven oil painted illustrations in this handsome edition is the double page spread of Thornfield placed at the entrance to the work.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Malcolm “Skip” Liepke moved to New York to study the works of Velasquez, Whistler, Chase and Vuillard, and viewed himself as their student.
His seven paintings are black and white and wonderfully expressive.
See HERE for a wonderful discussion on the works and techniques of Skip Liepke.
The Franklin Library, 1980
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Richard Lebenson
This atmospheric version featuring paintings by New York-based artist, printmaker and publisher, Richard Lebenson, is handsome and very well priced on the second-hand market.
Two full page spreads (one being the title page) and ten full page illustrations presented in black and white lend the perfect tone to ‘Jane Eyre’.
Reader’s Digest, 1984
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Simon Brett
This Folio Society version from the 90’s boasts finite wood engravings by Simon Brett that appear throughout the text in just such a shape that gives the reader the feeling that they are looking through the window into a scene and setting of Jane Eyre.
I was saddened to hear that this British illustrator, who created over 1,000 wood engravings during his career, passed away very recently (December 2024).
His work is beautiful, and I can only imagine the time spent on each. He has illustrated many books for The Folio Society, including a version of George Eliot’s Middlemarch.
The Folio Society, 1991
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Barnett Freedman
The child of Jewish Russian immigrants, London-based lithographer and illustrator Barnett Freedman illustrates Jane Eyre with hauntingly beautiful lithographs.
Bedridden in hospital from the age of nine to thirteen, Freedman’s only formal education was in Elementary school, but he still learned to read and write and later worked his way towards book illustration.
Heritage Press, 1942
Find It:
∞ Abebooks (there are several publications with these illustrations)
Note: My version, (published in 1974), was missing 3 or 4 of the 16 illustrations found in the 1942 version.
John Huehnergarth
A fantastic find!
John Huehnergarth, who, sadly, passed away in 2021, was an artist whose work was characterized by a flair for subtle, comic, social commentary. Although he illustrated a version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which is a little tricky to locate, his version of Jane Eyre is the only well-known classic that I have come across that is widely available. However, his work is abundantly appreciated as cover and interior art for Reader’s Digest, TV Guide, Boy’s Life, The Saturday Evening Post and Time Magazine.
With a lovely embossing on the cover board, this version has one full-color frontispiece (its a shame there is only one!) followed by many black and white line drawings possessing a subtle whimsy. The only one I have found with an illustration portraying Mr. Rochester holding his child at the conclusion. A decidedly happy version of Jane Eyre!
The Literary Guild of America, 1954
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Kathy Mitchell
Finding out information about this illustrator has proved a challenge. I know that in addition to this cozy autumnal edition of Jane Eyre, she has also illustrated the Grosset & Dunlap Illustrated Junior Library editions of Francis Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden (also possessing an autumnal lean) and the Golden Press edition of Alice in Wonderland, but otherwise information on this artist is rather limited.
With autumn leaves and crows on the back cover, this version is decidedly meant for your autumn reading pleasure. Full-page, full color illustrations occur at a rate of about one every 70 pages or so, and black and white drawings are interspersed throughout so that its more common for a chapter to have at least one illustration than not.
Grosset & Dunlap, 1983
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Dame Darcy
This unique version of Jane Eyre has become a solid favorite of mine. The artwork by Dame Darcy (who hails from Idaho but now lives in L.A.) sets itself apart with full-color, full-page illustration accompanied by black and white line drawings throughout that are completely true to the character of the artist. Every image gives reason to pause and absorb, as human emotion is put in physical form. It is fantastic!
Dame Darcy identifies as a neo-Victorian and has worked not only as an illustrator but an animator, writer and musician as well. Her Handbook for Hot Witches contains advice for young women and looks fun!
Viking Studio, 2006
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Ruben Toledo
This edition only contains illustration on the cover, flaps and very first page introducing the illustrator, but I had to include it because it is such an outstanding edition.
Ruben Toledo is from Havana, Cuba and his defining watercolor, pencil or ink illustrations are supported and inspired by his experience working alongside his wife in fashion. Other Penguin Classics Deluxe editions that he has provided artwork for are Dracula, Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Scarlet Letter.
Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, 2009
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Marjolein Bastin
Marjolein Bastin’s classics series are wonderful, and her version of Jane Eyre is no exception. What I love about these books is not knowing what beautiful bird, insect, flower or inserted letter, historical pamphlet or map you will find with every turn of the page. It’s a surprise!
Marjolein Bastin is known for her Vera the Mouse series and she has done several of these classics in German. They are slowly releasing them in English. At this point in time, in addition to Jane Eyre, the following are available in English: Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Little Women. Jane Austen’s Sanditon will be released later this autumn, and it looks like perhaps Mansfield Park will be next as it seems that an English version will be available in Germany this September.
Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2021
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Others
Many of these I would love to get a hold of someday!
Look for these on Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Alibris Books, Abebooks, or find them on internet archives or from your local bookstore or library!
Adapted Retellings
Here are a few beautifully adapted and illustrated versions of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë that I recommend:
Jane Eyre retold by Brooke Jorden and illustrated by Olga Skomorokhova (Lit for Little Hands Series)
I love the look of this one: beautiful illustrations mixed with interactive elements such as “lift the tab” which invite kids to help Jane solve the mystery of Thornfield Hall. Furthermore, details and dialogue direct from the original version are used, down to the first-person point of view.
Published in 2022 by Familius
Where to Find:
Jane Eyre retold by Stephanie Baudet and illustrated by Arianna Bellucci (Sweet Cherry Easy Classics Series)
I am impressed with every one of Sweet Cherry Publishing’s adapted classics and their version of Jane Eyre is no different. The writing by Stephanie Baudet somehow manages to keep every detail of the original while toning it down for children, and the illustrations by Arianna Bellucci mirror the writing in that respect. Lending to that, Bellucci’s style of illustration has a light touch that softens the mood of the novel.
Published in 2021 by Sweet Cherry Publishing
Where to Find:
Jane Eyre by Great Illustrated Classics
Adapted by Malvina G. Vogel,
Illustrated by Pablo Marcos
Cover illustrated by Joseph Miralles
I love this retelling! It is to-the-point, yet includes so much detail from the original! Although it smooths out some of the harsher details of the story it does not shield the reader entirely.
Pablo Marcos is a comic book artist from Peru and has created the interior artwork adorning many of the Great Illustrated Classic titles. I love the details in his work, and the expressions on his subject’s faces add depth to a young reader’s understanding of the story.
Published in 2004 by Playmore/Waldman Publishing Company
Find It:
∞ Abebooks
Jane Eyre adapted by Sara Thomson and Illustrated by Richard Lauter
Another fantastic retelling. Several bits and pieces of information are offered that I believe I missed while reading the original!
Large font leads the reader to believe this is for a younger child but all of the elements of the story, including Helen’s death, are told beautifully, yet with the same starkness of the original.
Published 2001 by Modern Publishing (Treasury of Illustrated Classics series)
Where to Find:
∞ Abebooks
Jane Eyre retold by Anna Claybourne and illustrated by Bob Harvey
British illustrator Bob Harvey who is known for his illustrative contribution in the fantasy gaming industry lends his touch to this succinct yet surprisingly detailed adaptation by Usborne.
Published 2003 by Usborne Publishing
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Jane Eyre by Jack & Holman Wang (Cozy Classics Series)
For the very young, these wonderful, felted images accompany a one-word-per-page narrative that somehow tells the story exactly! These are part of a series of classics that include Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables and Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, among others.
Jack and Holman Wang, 2013
Where to Find:
Jane Eyre Counting Primer by Jennifer Adams and illustrated by Alison Oliver
Another one for the very young, but this time with a focus on numbers and counting.
BabyLit, 2012
Where to Find:
Graphic Novel & Manga
Jane Eyre Graphic Novel adapted by Amy Corzine with artwork by John M. Burns
There are two versions of this full-color graphic novel. A green circle at the top left signifies the “quick-text” version; the orange circle contains the graphic novel with original text.
I am very impressed with the detail and coverage included.
Published in 2008 by Classical Comics
Where to Find:
Manga Classics with story adaptation by Crystal S. Chan and artwork by SunNeko Lee
Through these “illustrator explores” I have come to LOVE and respect the Manga versions of a classic because they are surprisingly true to the originals while modernizing the experience.
This grayscale manga edition of
Jane Eyre stays very close in dialogue to the original while capturing the Gothic feel of its setting and characters. It is also crafted to bring out the romance between Mr. Rochester and Jane beautifully.
An UDON Entertainment Production in association with Morpheus Publishing Ltd., 2016
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Non-English Language
SPANISH
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë illustrated by Holly Jolley
Holly Jolley is from Santiago, Chile and I love her style which is simultaneously eccentric and minimalist. This version is illustrated with full page illustrations in shades of black and red. Very nice!
Editorial Alma, 2019
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SPANISH
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë with illustrations by Laura Agusti
This Spanish, feline version of Jane Eyre is a must have, even if you don’t speak Spanish! Jane Eyre as a cat, who would have thought?
Laura Agusti is from Barcelona, Spain and her version has decorated chapter headings and full page, black and white illustrations featuring Charlotte Bronte’s characters as cats and other animals. Its wonderful!
Coleccion Alfguara Clasicos, 2024
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For the Collector
Jane Eyre Illustrated by Santiago Caruso
It was not until I read this edition illustrated by Argentinian artist Santiago Caruso that I realized the ties Jane Eyre holds with the Scottish folk tale Tam Lin. I have provided a photograph of one of the illustrations – look closely and you will see tree branches making the outline of faerie wings on Jane Eyre.
Published by The Folio Society, 2014
Notes
I would like to thank the Brontë Parsonage in Haworth who helped me with some of the illustration history behind Jane Eyre.
I would also like to acknowledge and thank the website www.janeeyreillustrated.com, whose meticulous research really helped me with this post as well, (most particularly with my “Others” section). Please make sure to visit their site for more illustrations and notes on the remarkable illustrators of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
This is a “living” post. I will add more illustrated versions as they come available (or if I find any I left out). Be sure to check back now and then!
Featured “Robin” card in photography is watercolor on paper done by artist Daniel Mackie. To see other greeting cards by this artist click HERE.
Wallpaper design in photography background is part of the “Marseille : Marrakech” collection by New York-based Grow House Grow. It lines one of the walls in my study. If you look closely you will see that the design is made up of cicadas.