Elihu Vedder (1836 - 1923)

Soul in Bondage, 1891-92

Elihu Vedder (1836 - 1923) was an American symbolist painter, book illustrator, and poet, born in New York City. He is best known for his fifty-five illustrations for Edward FitzGerald's translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. He was involved in the bohemian 'Pfaff's' coffee house group, and painted some of his most memorable paintings notable for their visionary nature, romantic imagery and often Oriental influences. Paintings of this time include 'The Roc's Egg', 'The Fisherman and the Genii' and one of his most famous works, 'Lair of the Sea Serpent.' Ηe was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, and was a friend of Simeon Solomon. He was also influenced by the work of English and Irish mystics such as William Blake and William Butler Yeats. He was commissioned him to design glassware, mosaics and statuettes for the company. He decorated the hallway of the Reading Room of the Washington Library of Congress, and his mural paintings can still be seen there.

The Cumaean Sibyl,1876

The Fates gathering in the stars, 1887

The Sphinx of the seashore, 1879

Medusa, 1867

TheVenetian model, 1878

The last man

The morning Glory, 1899

Model posing, 1881

The Questioner of the Sphinx, 1863

Some illustrations for Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám 1883-84: