Charles de Sousy Ricketts, painter, illustrator, theatre designer, collector, and writer (on art), was the friend and life long companion of Charles Shannon, whom he met at the Lambeth School of Art in 1882, where they were, students on the commercial wood engraving course. Ricketts, born in Geneva and soon orphaned, had a restless and volatile personality. Shannon, three years older, gave him emotional security and stability.

Ricketts's distinctive artistic personality first emerged in his book illustrations for various magazines, including the Magazine of Art, but between 1889 and 1897 he and Shannon issued their own periodical, The Dial, on an irregular basis. This was illustrated with wood engravings they had drawn and cut themse...