Henry Darger (1892-1973) was an American outsider artist, most famous for his illustrated fantasy saga, The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion. At over 15,000 pages, the work features elaborate worldbuilding and follows the story of seven child princesses who fight against the practice of child slavery. The untitled and undated illustration this detail comes from is just one of several hundred drawings, illustrations, and collages discovered in Darger’s home around the time of his death. The scene features several girls in an elaborate, richly-colored landscape—their similar dresses, expressions, and poses highlight Darger’s borrowing from and tracing of found imagery, including newspaper photos, advertisements, and cartoons.

Learn more about the work that inspired this pin HERE.