David Palladini

Who is David Palladini?

David Palladini is an American illustrator, best known for his Aquarian Tarot decks and illustrations of children's books, especially The Girl Who Cried Flowers and other tales by Jane Yolen. His style is reminiscent of the Art Nouveau illustrations of Alfons Mucha and Aubrey Beardsley.

Palladini was born in Italy and emigrated to America as a child. His dual cultural background is expressed in the lush creativity of his work. After studying art, photography, and film at the Pratt Institute in New York City, he was a photographer at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City on his first job.

Palladini illustrated the second edition of a novel by Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon. The artwork was rendered in pencil and ink on Bienfeng velour paper. Depending on retention of the illustrations subsequently, that may be his most widely held work in WorldCat libraries. Otherwise Yolen's The Girl Who Cried Flowers is his most widely held, by a wide margin. He also did an edition of Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley, her first novel.