The Haggard Project
How Michael Whelan came to illustrate the classic novel She
Over the 50 year span of his career as a commercial illustrator, Michael Whelan rarely took private commissions, primarily because his schedule was always packed and he never had the time.
Today we look at one of the unique moments when he carved out time for a private commission for the classic novel She. The author, H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925), was a pioneer of “lost world” fantasy adventures, writing around the same time as Jules Verne. Today, he’s possibly best remembered for the many film adaptations of his most famous book King Solomon’s Mines.
From a young age, Howard Frank was a big fan of Haggard’s writing, which ultimately led to a passion project for he and his wife Jane. As detailed in their book Great Fantasy Art Themes from The Frank Collection, they commissioned contemporary illustrators, including Don Maitz, Stephen Hickman, Bob Eggleton, and Donato Giancola among others, to illustrate Haggard’s most beloved books.
Michael Everett
An Introduction, Courtesy of Jane and Howard Frank
We envisioned a series of major paintings created by today’s leading illustrators, each in his or her own inimitable style. We hoped to capture the spirit of Haggard’s greatest works in what could be a lasting contribution to the field. We conceived the project as one where we would give each artist a ‘relaxed’ time frame, substantially more than the standard 3-4 weeks given to complete a book cover…In each instance an outstanding artist whose style, in Howard’s opinion, was best matched to the spirit of the particular book would be commissioned to create an illustration for one of the most significant or memborable of Haggard’s fantasy novels.
When it came to She, Howard was obsessed by the choice of an artist for this famous book. He felt there was only one he wanted to interpret this work for our project; Michael Whelan. Michael initially declined this commission because of his tight schedule, but did offer some hope, saying that he ‘loved the book and hoped someday to paint at least one image from it.’ We were both delighted when that ‘someday’ arrived about two years later, and Michael signed up for the project.
Remembering a Forgotten Classic
Well, first of all, I must say that I was extremely flattered to have been asked to do a painting based on She. Flattered but daunted by the possibilities and challenges afforded an artist by one of the greatest classics in the fantasy genre.
From the outset I rejected the climactic scene at the end, done to death in so many movies and previous illustrations: a cliché. Surely in a book filled with such wonder there would be other scenes which would be as good to illustrate. Ah, but which part to choose? There are so many memorable scenes!
I wrestled for many days with the possibilities. How many other characters should I include? Which scene best captures the book. Which scene best sums up Haggard’s appeal, and, especially, was most compelling for me?
I did several small compositional sketches [thumbnails in color, actually], but most of them were thrown out because they were so loose they were really just abstract swatches of colors for the most part.
There is a special problem with illustrating She and that is the main character herself. As the mysterious ruler of the native people, Ayesha (pronounced “Assha”) is an all powerful Hiya—a word that translates to She-who-must-be-obeyed, or simply She. As described by Haggard, She is incomparably, stunningly beautiful. It’s a daunting task for any painter to portray a beauty as Haggard describes, a beauty so timeless and compelling that men fall prostrate before her feet at the mere sight of her!
Well, I could only do my best, I thought, as I went through the various scenes in the book where the title character stands out. Hmm. Maybe the scene in the audience chamber where Holly and his companions first encounter her... but She is usually completely swathed in concealing cloth, so that wouldn’t do. Besides, the drabness of the dark underground chamber didn’t do justice to the wild backgrounds so often described by Haggard.
Perhaps, I thought, the scene in the ruined city of Kor, bathed in moonlight? That section of the book had great appeal for me, until I realized that the colors in such a scene would necessarily be too dark and muted to work for a painting earmarked for the centerpiece of a collection.
In the end, there really was no doubt in my mind which part to concentrate on. About three-quarters of the way through the book, She leads Holly and his companions across a great chasm, illuminated by the red shaft of the setting sun, surrounded by swirling mists. No doubt about it, it had to be that scene!
I like the idea that it presages her walk into the fire, when She is bathed in the ruddy sun-glow with the fogs and mists swirling about her. Also, She is standing on the splinter of rock, in a commanding posture, fearlessly leading the way…such a great summing up of her character.
Upon reflection, after I’d finished and delivered the painting to the Franks, I wished that I hadn’t painted the scene so dark. I forgot that in situations where the light is dim, or tinted heavily in some way, the human eye adjusts itself somewhat to the available ambience and compensates for it somewhat. So in retrospect I feel that the colors could have been somewhat less saturated and contrasty.
But that’s my analytical artist’s mind talking; sometimes the most essential thing is to convey—or even enhance—the DRAMA of a scene, and for that, one needs to throw caution to the wind and go for the heightened effect.
Michael Whelan
Weekly Art Recap
Ensign Flandry - the first Dominic Flandry cover for Grand Master Poul Anderson
Fortitude - a small painting exploring strength in the face of the coming storm
The Way Station - endpaper illustration for The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Flight of Discovery - inspired by the stonework at Castle Pennard in Wales
Dragonsdawn - cover illustration for Grand Master Anne McCaffrey
Over the Mountains of Madness - an experiment in brushstrokes while on assignment for At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft
Subscribe so you don’t miss a thing…
If you like in-depth content about Michael Whelan’s art including deep dives into his process, please consider subscribing. Our weekly newsletters are free, and we offer additional perks for paid supporters like high resolution digital wallpapers and the digital edition of Wonderworks!