Beauty and the Beast: A Collection of Heroic Fantasy Illustrations

Not all female fans of fantasy art would find Achilleos' work to be empowering, as most of his female subjects are portrayed passively, sometimes even in bondage. But even with their passivity, they are definitely eyecatching ! The centerpiece is absolutely wonderful, giving a whole new concept behind what REALLY occurred between Eve & the Serpent. The main theme of Beauty & the Beast centers mostly on the concept of heroism through the ages, and how we view the Hero archetype in our own modern society. Although the book is older, published in 1978, the artwork fits right in with more contemporary fantasy artwork, and is a worthy piece to have in any artbook collection.

This has all the classic Chris Achilleos images, and really shows how well he can draw/paint the female form. His exotic "warror women" still outshine most of the other artists in this genre. His attention to detail as well as the overall concepts of the pieces are amazing, and he was the originator of ideas that have been copied many times since