The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke
Richard Dadd · 1855
Why it's great
A crowd of tiny fairies, elves and sprites gather around, as a woodsman prepares to split a hazelnut with an axe, in a tangled glade. Richard Dadd painted it over nine years, many of them in a hospital, and filled it with tiny details. It was inspired by fairy tales and Shakespeare. It's one of the most amazing fairy paintings ever made.
👀 Look closer!
Everyone is frozen waiting for the woodsman's ax. How many tiny creatures can you find hiding in the grass?
Where to see it
📍 Tate BritainLondon, United Kingdom
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Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Richard Dadd was born in Chatham, England, and became a talented painter before he fell seriously ill in his twenties. He spent the rest of his life in hospitals, where he kept painting amazing, tiny, detailed fairy pictures. He lived in Bethlem and then Broadmoor Hospital. He died in 1886.
