Greenaway, Kate (1846–1901)

English illustrator of children's books. Born Mar 17, 1846, in Hoxton, London, England; died Nov 6, 1901, in Frognal, Hampstead, London, of breast cancer; dau. of John Greenaway (engraver and woodcut maker) and Elizabeth (Jones) Greenaway; studied at the Finsbury School of Art, the National Art Training School, Heatherley's School of Art, and Slade School of Art; never married; no children.

Illustrator whose particular style proved widely influential, making her a household name at home and abroad and spawning a host of imitators; published 1st book illustration, Infant Amusements, or How to Make a Nursery Happy (1867); began working for the greeting-card industry, where her shrewd instinct for popular taste led to the development of a successful style which depicted a romantic vision of children in historical dress, set against a plain background with an ornate border; achieved success when 1st edition of Under the Window sold out within a few weeks (1879); published Kate Greenaway's Birthday Book (1880), which reassured her position as a leading illustrator when sales reflected its critical and popular acclaim; with the exception of one year, produced the Kate Greenaway Almanack (1883–97); was one of the primary influences on children's illustration and children's publishing in general.

See also Rodney Engen, Kate Greenaway: A Biography (MacDonald Futura, 1981); M.H. Spielmann and G.S. Layard, Kate Greenaway (Adam & Charles Black, 1905); and Women in World History.