He held up the gold piece, crying at each leap of his, ‘False gold! false coin! false coin!’ (1912)

Crafted by the renowned illustrator Arthur Rackham in 1912, this bewitching illustration encapsulates the fantastical world that Rackham is famed for. Here, we are transported into a spine-tingling scene from a story filled with magic and mystery.The painting depicts a chaotic and dynamic chase, where a figure astride a striking white horse appears to be fleeing from or through a dense, menacing forest. The rider, cloaked and determined, raises a shimmering gold coin, denouncing it as false with a desperate fervor. His expression and the animated gesture add an intense emotion that resonates throughout the piece.In stark contrast to the spectral pallor of the horse and rider, the surrounding woods teem with dark, intricate forms and mythical creatures which seem to blend and twist within the vegetation, creating a sense of foreboding and supernatural unrest. The gnarled trees and the creeping flora are portrayed in immense detail typical of Rackham’s work, blurring the boundaries between the fantastical and the real.This illustration not only exemplifies Rackham’s ability to invoke the ethereal and the eerie but also showcases his masterful use of muted colors splashed with moments of vibrant hues to captivate and tell a story that transcends the visual. It invites the viewer to ponder more about the narrative — what is the origin of the false gold? What consequences await our fleeing hero?This piece is a magnificent representation of Rackham’s distinctive style and his prowess in bringing literary moments to life through his imaginative lens.