The Era of Progress in Children's Literature, from Puck c. 1886

This artwork, by Frederick Burr Opper, likely made for Puck magazine, contrasts the old and new in children's literature through a visually dynamic composition. Opper uses a vertical division, placing a modern boy absorbed in a textbook on the right, and a chaotic array of fairy tale characters on the left. The boy's space is defined by neat lines and order, emphasized by the right angles of the chair and scattered textbooks. In contrast, the fairy tale figures are drawn with exaggerated, almost grotesque features, creating a sense of disarray. The color palette is divided, with muted tones characterizing the modern scene, while the fairy tale world pops with brighter, less naturalistic colors. Opper uses these formal elements to critique the shift in educational values. The structured, formal world of the boy signifies the perceived progress of rational, scientific thought displacing the imaginative, irrational world of fairy tales. This juxtaposition highlights a cultural anxiety about the loss of enchantment in favor of a utilitarian, progress-driven mindset.