This vintage, full-color drawing of King Midas and another man is another great illustration from the talented illustrator Walter Crane.
Update: Thanks to a wonderful email from Laura, I’ve learned that I had originally mis-identified the second person in this drawing. Next to King Midas is Hermes. Hermes was the messenger of the gods. He was known to protect travelers, thieves and old crones. But he expected payment for his protection, which is perhaps why Midas appears to be protecting his treasure chest of gold from the god in this drawing. Midas, according to Greek Mythology, became a worshiper of Pan (Hermes’ son) once he no longer turned everything he touched into gold. This and a number of other mythology-related drawings were done by Walter Crane (1845-1915) for inclusion in the 1892 publication Wonder Book for Girls & Boys by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
