Sir John Tenniel was the original illustrator for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1864, with his 92 illustrations for the franchise propelling him to international fame and his images being recognisable to the majority of people after being published in 1865. In the creation of these illustrations, tensions were high between author Lewis Caroll and John Tenniel. Caroll, being a very particular person, gave Tenniel very specific instructions concerning every aspect of the illustrations. However, once the 42 original drafts were completed, Carroll only liked one. Carroll had Tenniel alter his illustrations several times, for example when he was not happy with Alice’s face – even when the woodblocks were already engraved, which meant also the woodblock had to be partly re-done. Their relationship was perpetually strained, trying to find a balance between Tenniel’s interpretations and Carroll’s imaginings, however they did manage to work well as partners. The influence Tenniel had on Carroll is clear from the fact that Carroll recalled the first edition of his book, only because Tenniel expressed dissatisfaction about the quality of the printing of the pictures and Carroll even dropped an entire chapter from his book on Tenniel’s suggestion.
Tenniel’s method for creating the illustrations began with preliminary drawings using pencil. He then developed these further using ink to simulate what the wood engravers line. These drawings would then be transferred onto the woodblock using tracing paper. In the case of the Alice books, these were done by the Dalziel Brothers and engraved to the highest standards in an attempt to please Carroll’s particularity. Copper-plated printing blocks were then made from the woodblocks. These are called electrotype blocks and were used for the actual printing in order to preserve the woodblocks. Tenniel's approach to his illustration differs significantly to many artists of the time, such as the Pre-Raphaelites due to the fact he refused to use models for reference when creating art. Due to his extensive academic training, Tenniel felt he worked best referring only to the techniques and visuals inside his own head instead of observation. This certainly worked in his favour when he argued with Carroll that the creatures in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland should not look like real animals, but should instead be fanciful creations. Carroll stated that, “Mr. Tenniel is the only artist who has drawn for me who resolutely refused to use a model and declared he no more needed one than I should need a multiplication table to work a mathematical problem.”
Tenniel's illustrations are very much a product of his time, strictly and distinctly Victorian in nature. He values formality and restraint and this is often visible through his choice of composition in his illustrations, which often echo the structure of the stories by means of a symmetrical, enclosing sense of balance. Often, he achieves this through placing the figure of Alice, or whatever is the main subject of the illustration, in between other characters or objects, or at least positioned in the middle of the piece. Other times, he focuses on maintaining a sense of symmetry and balance in his work with often an even number of characters on each side of an image. This formality is complemented by Tenniel’s precise, classical line, developed over years of academic study of statuary and human anatomy, and brought to perfection in his allegorical female figures for Punch.
Not only is the composition inside each illustration meticulously planned, but the positioning alongside the text itself too. For example, sometimes bracketing is used, where the illustration would be placed between two relevant sentences as a way of displaying the exact moment, creating further depth and impact on the reader's interpretation and bringing to life the reading experience. Bracketing creates a sense of dramatic immediacy to the text. Some illustrations are broader or narrower and either centred on the page or allowed to run flush with the text as a margin. The words run in parallel with the image with it reflecting the events as they play out. This almost creates a sense of dynamism as the reader absorbs the story and illustration.
An iconic story with iconic images, 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland' has led to the creation of many iconic and wonderful illustrations, as well as inspiring many artists to try illustration themselves. The influence of Lewis Carroll’s story and John Tenniel's work for it is undeniable and still prevalent today, 155 years later.
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