Sidney Herbert Sime was an English artist in the late Victorian and succeeding periods, mostly remembered for his fantastic and satirical artwork, especially his story illustrations for Irish authorLord Dunsany.
Life
Early life
Sime was born in Manchester in poverty. After a five-year career in the mines, including as a "scoop pusher," work at a linen shop, a barbers, and as a signwriter, he studied at the Liverpool School of Art. During his time there, he won several awards.
Publishing
Sime quickly became famous for drawings and illustrations with fantastic themes, with a presence in Pick-Me-Up, The Idler and the Pall Mall Gazette. The fantastic treatment often masked biting satire, especially aimed at the rich and at politicians. He received an inheritance from an uncle and bought The Idler, but sold out within two years.
Dunsany
In 1904, Sime was approached by the author for whom he is most often remembered, the Irish Lord Dunsany, to illustrate his first book, The Gods of Pegana, finally published in 1905. This began an association which lasted for the rest of his life, with his illustrations especially prominent in Dunsany's earlier work. For one volume, at least some of the stories were inspired by Sime works, and for three, in special limited editions, each plate of illustration was signed by the artist.
Drama and exhibitions
Sime, who had produced a play with limited success in 1905, did both scenery and costume work for a number of productions, and had exhibitions in 1923 and 1927. In his later years, he produced less work but more in colour, his earlier work having been almost exclusively monochrome.
Today, Sime is best remembered for his work with Lord Dunsany. At least four collections of Sime's work have been published, though none are in print today. Illustrator Roger Dean is among many who cite him as an influence. Writer H. P. Lovecraft was also a fan of his as was Howard de Walden. The Sime Gallery is still extant in the village of Worplesdon near Guildford but the most famous collections of Sime work belonged to Lord Dunsany and Howard de Walden. The latter is unavailable, and it is believed many were lost in a fire. However, the Dunsany collection, including all the originals of Sime's work for Dunsany, plus a few other pieces, and notably with several in colour, can be viewed by arrangement at Dunsany Castle in County Meath, Ireland.
