House that Jack built

Unlike Crane and Greenaway, Randolph Caldecott had no artistic background but spent his free time drawing and wood carving. After several years as a bank clerk, he moved to London when he was 26 to study art at the Slade School. His illustrations to Old Christmas by Washington Irving attracted the attention of Edmund Evans, the colour printer. Their collaboration from 1878 was superb: each Christmas for the next eight years Caldecott produced two picture books, the first being The Diverting History of John Gilpin and The House that Jack built.

Using nursery rhymes or light verse as his text Caldecott illustrated these exuberantly. Evans allowed him ample room so some pages had only a few words: there were monochrome sketches alternating with pages of colour and lively action with humorous detail. These books were extremely popular and much anticipated after the first few years. The books sold for only one shilling, and so were more easily available than dearer books. Many of the books were later amalgamated as omnibus volumes.

With just the sixteen books produced over an eight year period Caldecott became internationally known. His work earned him the admiration not only of his contemporary Kate Greenaway, but of the next generation's best remembered illustrator - Beatrix Potter. Artists such as Van Gogh and Gauguin praised his work, and Maurice Sendak has much admiration for his work.

The American Library Association has named its award for picture book illustration after him.

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