As my posts Nine Astonishing New Illustrators and Nine More Astonishing New Illustrators have received much welcome in the Carroll-collector community, I felt it was time to do another. Once again I thank Instagrammers @semperluxus, @neverenoughalicebooks, and @chimerainwonderland for finding them!
The first, and by far the largest (16.5 x 12 inches, 42 x 30 cm) is this lushly illustrated Italian one by Francesco Corli. The art was taken from a series of 50 paintings (all shown full-page in a suite at the back of the book) done for an exhibition at the Cart Gallery in Rome in May. Although signed and limited to 100 copies, it is quite reasonably priced and obtainable from the Gallery here.
Although the only text is a one-page summary, Les Aventures d’Alice au Pays des Merveilles contains Sébastien Orsini’s exquisite paper cut-outs in a single, folded 67-inch (170 cm) sheet (Lirabelle, 2015) ISBN: 978-2358781398. Be sure to order the paperback version; otherwise you will be led astray.
Enzo Venezia’s geometrical and wildly amusing, colorful pictures accompany a retelling (also by Venezia and from Alice’s POV) of the tale in rhymes and nursery-rhymes in a large square (12 in, 30 cm) format (Piuma Editions, 2020, ISBN 978-8897443230). A unique approach, and a true delight from end to end.
A Chinese version of both Wonderland (爱丽丝漫游奇境) and Looking-glass (Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing, 2022) is illustrated by Gu Rui En in a very, well, pretty manner. The translation is also said to be new and interesting. I’ll save you the trouble: you can get it on Amazon.
Jessica Cioffi, under the nom de plume “Loputyn,” has produced a number of very lovely drawings in a muted pastel palette (although a few somewhat arbitrary skulls, eyeballs, and sharp teeth are woven in). It is available in both Italian (Rebelle, 2022, ISBN 978-8894559088) and Russian (Алиса в стране чудес, Mann-Ivanov-Ferber, 2023, ISBN 978-5002140879).
Truly wacky and laugh-out-loud funny pictures by Laurent Grossat highlight this French edition (L’Autre Regard, 2020, ISBN 978-2490906284). The text is retold and the art is hysterical.
A psychedelically colored Korean edition called Alice in Wonderland Mobile Art Book (이상한 나라의 앨리스 모바일 아트북) contains amusing, highly stylized illustrations by Lady Duck and, at the back, an assemble-able mobile! ISBN 978-8998010614. Amazon shows it paired with another book, which is Anne of Green Gables, not Looking-Glass.
In her artbook Miracles from Alice (Чудеса от Алисы, Артбук, 2016), collagist/artist Alena Arsentieva (Алена Арсентьева) illustrates both Alice books and one image for the Snark. There is very little text, in Russian mainly, but an extract of The Snark appears in English. ISBN 978-5699885626.
Easton Press’s Deluxe Limited Edition features eight full-color and nine pencil illustrations by acclaimed Basque artist Arantza Sestayo, each hand-tipped into the book and protected by a translucent overlay. The book comes in a custom-crafted clothbound slipcase and is a stunning example of the bookmaker’s art, as well as featuring her finely rendered drawings. (Perhaps as a bonus or teaser, an image of Looking-Glass’s Queen Alice and the Jabberwock comes at the very end!)
