Today marks the one hundred and seventieth birthday of Robert Louis Stevenson. As Al Harroin pointed out earlier today, RLS remains one of the great writers in the English language. Stevenson's tales, especially Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, are still cultural touchstones even among those who have never read a word of his prose.

Al Harron also quoted Roger Ebert's cogent opinion of RLS:

"Stevenson is a splendid writer of stories for adults, and he should be put on the same shelf with Joseph Conrad and Jack London instead of in between Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan.”

The illustrated Kindle edition of The Black Arrow, which uses an interior plate from the Scribner’s edition as the cover. — The illustrated Kindle edition of *The Black Arrow*, which uses an interior plate from the Scribner’s edition as the cover.

True words from Ebert, on the whole, but Stevenson did occasionally--supposedly--write for younger audiences. Such is the case of The Black Arrow. Written for Young Folks magazine in 1883, Stevenson's short novel is ostensibly aimed at, as he put it, "a particular audience". That said, RLS never considered himself a "children's" writer. He was one of those rare authors who could pen tales which appeal to both demographics.

The Black Arrow holds some nostalgic value for me because I vaguely remember watching reruns of the TV series based on it as a child. I didn't end up actually reading the novel until I found the Scribner's edition--full of gorgeous N.C. Wyeth paintings--in my college library.

Dunsany had Sidney Sime. Robert E. Howard had Frazetta. Robert Louis Stevenson had N.C. Wyeth. Starting in 1911 with the Scribner's edition of Treasure Island, NCW went on to illustrate Stevenson's Kidnapped in 1913 and then The Black Arrow in 1916.

As I’ve stated elswhere, Wyeth was at the absolute peak of his artistic powers when he illustrated those early Scribner’s editions, The Black Arrow among them. His command of dynamic action and composition were masterful and NCW had already shown his ability to dig deep into the tales of RLS and bring out the best in them.

The Black Arrow possessed plenty to work with. Set in 1460, the characters of the novel are all entangled in the dynastic struggles now known as the Wars of the Roses. That's right, the same conflict that was a partial inspiration for GRRM's "A Song of Ice and Fire". Intrigue, conflicted loyalties and internecine warfare were rampant. Plenty of red meat for Stevenson as an author and for Wyeth as an illustrator.

Thanks to some nefarious Eastern European connections of mine--let's call them "Macedonians"--I have in my possession some truly righteous scans from the original 1916 Scribner's edition. DMR Books always goes the extra mile. Below you will find the cover, frontispiece, plates and endpapers with some commentary from yours truly. Just my tip of the horned helm to both Stevenson and Wyeth, one of the great pairings in the history of book publishing.

The cover of the 1916 edition.

That is one gorgeous title plate. It could just as easily be some Aquilonian knights riding to fight in the “Wars of the Barons” that brought Conan to the throne.

The protagonist, Richard Shelton, spreads the alarm regarding the recent attack of the outlaws known as the Black Arrow.

Sir Daniel Brackley crafting more machinations by fireside. NCW loved to paint scenes with a hearth/fireplace in the background. Ready-made dramatic lighting.

Shelton and Joanna crossing the fens. As with most great artists, Wyeth was a master at depicting horses.

A man of the Black Arrow on high lookout in Tunstall Forest.

He could just as easily be a Bossonian archer on guard against Pictish raiding parties or a forester of the Tauran in northern Aquilonia .

Exquisite work here portraying the background and starlit pool. Normally, I see scans of this that are darker and muddier. This scan really lets Wyeth’s genius shine through.

As one website has noted:

“When NCW painted his illustrations for The Black Arrow, he had finished upgrading his pallet. Adding power colors like Ultramarine Blue and Rose Madder allowed him to create mesmerizing purples.”

N.C.’s use of purple in the pool is just inspired, in my opinion..

A spearman on his last legs, riddled with clothyard shafts. You don’t mess with the Black Arrow.

One of the best dungeon scenes in all of Western art. As usual, Wyeth’s composition and use of chiaroscuro is beyond reproach.

“They were now fighting above the knees in the spume and bubble of the breakers.”

Men of the Black Arrow braving rough seas to steal a ship.

NCW learned how to paint ocean waves at the feet of a true master, Howard Pyle, and it shows.

“And Lawless, keeping half a step in front of his companion and holding his head forward like a hunting-dog upon the scent, . . . studied out their path.”

This has long been considered one of Wyeth’s better paintings. It furnished the cover for David Michaelis’ 1998 biography of NWC and can be bought as a print as we speak..

Once again, this could easily be portraying two men of the central or eastern provinces of Aquilonia or perhaps Nemedia. In the Howardian texts, Nemedians appear to strictly favor the arbalest. In Aquilonia, longbowmen seem to hail almost exclusively from the Bossonian Marches, the Trans-Bossonian provinces of the Westermarck and, perhaps, the Tauran. All other Aquilonian provinces would appear to favor the crossbow.