• Cart ()
  • My Account

The Charley Harper Gallery

Limited and Open Edition Prints and Gifts by Charley Harper

  • Shop
    • Artwork
      • Ford Times Art
      • Framed Prints
      • Giclee’ Prints
      • Lithograph Prints
      • Original Paintings
      • Posters
      • Signed Ltd Edition Prints
      • Wall Murals
    • Products and Gifts
      • Adornments
      • Books
      • Calendars and Stationery
      • Children’s Products
      • Decorative Art Tiles
      • Kitchen & Entertaining
      • Holiday Greeting Cards
      • Mobile Devices
      • Needlepoint, Quilting & Fabric
        • Needlepoint Canvases
        • Quilt Patterns
      • Notecards
      • Games
  • Home
  • New Products
  • Blog
  • Artist Profile
  • Articles
  • Services
    • Sell Your Artwork
    • Shop by Price
    • Wanted to Buy
  • About
    • Customer Comments
    • Customer Support
    • Gift Certificates
    • Links
    • Returns & Refunds
    • Shipping Policy
    • The Charley Harper Gallery
    • Contact Us
  • Artwork Wanted
  • Cart ()
  • My Account
  • Facebook

Animal Kingdom

The following article was contributed by Jim Hughes and first appeared in his excellent blog, found here: https://codex99.com/archive.html

Animal Kingdom | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

The Animal Kingdom

Charley Harper as Illustrator: the 1960s, part III

Around 1967 Charlie accepted one last major commission from Western Publishing – illustrating Gerald Fichter’s The Animal Kingdom.2

The book, a middle-school level introduction to zoology, allowed Charley to concentrate his efforts solely on animals. His hundreds of gouache paintings covered everything from insects to reptiles to fish to mammals. Pretty much, as the title would imply, the entire animal kingdom. It was in many ways an even more ambitious commission than the Golden Book of Biology (which we’ve covered here).

Golden Book of Biology | Primate | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

Golden Book of Biology | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

Golden Book of Biology | Marsupials | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

Charley’s work has always been rather light-hearted and humorous, but in The Animal Kingdom he reveals perhaps the true extent of his dark and macabre sense of humor. A substantial portion of his illustrations show animals fighting, killing and eating each other. The brutality of the wild has never been so wonderfully depicted.

Animal Kingdom | Sharks | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

Whale & Squid | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

“Battles between the squid and the sperm whale are awesome sights”

Secretary Bird & Mamba | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

“A black mamba escaping a brush fire has been caught by a patrolling secretary bird”

Humming Bird & Tarantula | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

“A hummingbird becomes a tarantula’s victim”

Sea | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

Pray Mantis | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

Beetle | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

Although Charley would continue with limited commercial freelance work throughout the 1970s and 80s, notably for the Ford Times, the Sohioan, Ranger Rick and Procter and Gamble’s Moonbeams, he would never again accept another commission like The Animal Kingdom. Beginning in 1968 and continuing for the rest of his career the focus of his talents and energies became limited edition fine-art serigraphs.

Humming Bird & Nest | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

1. All of the images shown here are courtesy of Terry Wright at charleyharperprints.com. Terry’s site is a treasure trove of information about Charley and his art.

2. Fichter, George. The Animal Kingdom – an Introduction to the Major Groups of Animals. New York: Golden Press, 1968. The book went through at least (and maybe only) two printings and is available with two covers, one with black text and one with red text:

Animal Kingdom Book | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

Here is Charley’s alternate study for the cover:

The Animal Kingdom Book | Charley Harper Prints | For Sale

10 Dec 2010

Shop Search

Gallery

  • Artwork
    • Ford Times Art
    • Framed Prints
    • Giclee' Prints
    • Lithograph Prints
    • Original Paintings
    • Posters
    • Signed Ltd Edition Prints
    • Wall Murals
  • Consignment Corner
  • Embroidered Patches
  • Frame Anything!
  • Fun & FREE
  • Gift Certificates
  • Harper Apparel
    • Fashion Tees
    • Socks
  • New Products
  • Other Art - Brett H
  • Other Art - Edie H
  • Products and Gifts
    • Adornments
    • Bird Sculptures
    • Books
    • Boxed Notecards
    • Calendars and Stationery
    • Children's Products
    • Christmas Stockings
    • Decorative Art Tiles
    • Enamel Pins
    • Games
    • Holiday Greeting Cards
    • Kitchen & Entertaining
    • Mobile Devices
      • iPhone Protection
    • Needle Crafts
      • Fabrics: Canvas
      • Fabrics: Cotton/Poplin
      • Needlepoint Canvases
      • Quilt Patterns
    • Notecards
    • Puzzles
  • Skateboard Decks

Optin Form

Copyright © 2019 · Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in