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A history of British folklore in art

A history of British folklore in art Image: Royal Academy of Arts, London

An article follows artist Ben Edge into the world of the uncanny as he explores folklore’s place in art.

Britain’s myths and legends include stories of green giants, ghostly white horses and malevolent fairies, which have provided artists with inspiration.

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Royal Academy’s Richard Dadd retrospective reunites the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ watercolour the British Museum bought in 1987 Image: Richard Dadd, The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke (detail), 1855–64. Oil on canvas, 54 x 39.4 cm. Tate. Presented by Siegfried Sassoon in memory of his friend and fellow officer Julian Dadd, a great-nephew of the artist, and of his two brothers who gave their lives in the First World War 1963. Photo: Tate
Museum

Royal Academy’s Richard Dadd retrospective reunites the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ watercolour the British Museum bought in 1987

Read full story London · 27 Aug 2026 [REPORT]

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A history of British folklore in art

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