We have come to love Henry van Dyke’s 1895 work The Story of the Other Wise Man. The imagination it took to create a story set in biblical times, capturing the essence of what it truly meant to be a follower of Christ is astounding … and this story still speaks to us today.
This beautiful story is retold in our 8×10 edition and combined with J.R. Flanagan’s illustrations from the 1923 Harper & Brothers printing. Available in paperback and hardcover, both in full color.
Books to read: The Story of the Other Wise Man
When the Christmas star appeared in the East, proclaiming the birth of Christ, a wise man named Artaban set out to meet with other magi to journey to the newborn king.
But Artaban was delayed as he helped a dying man.
The other wise men journeyed on without him, so Artaban traveled alone. He missed meeting Jesus, time and again, as this compassionate man spent his years helping those who crossed his path. And as he shared all he had with those hurting, he feared if he finally did meet the Christ, he would have nothing left to give.
This classic story is a beloved treasure fitting for Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter.
The creators: first, author Henry van Dyke, Jr.
Henry van Dyke, Jr. was privileged to fill many prestigious roles. From being a Presbyterian minister to serving as a foreign diplomat and teaching as English professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, he led a fascinating life. He had esteemed friends such as President Woodrow Wilson and even Helen Keller, who acknowledged him as a friend worth having. Keller is quoted as saying, “Dr. van Dyke is the kind of a friend to have when one is up against a difficult problem. He will take trouble, days and nights of trouble, if it is for somebody else or for some cause he is interested in. ‘I’m not an optimist,’ says Dr. van Dyke, ‘there’s too much evil in the world and in me. Nor am I a pessimist; there is too much good in the world and in God. So I am just a meliorist, believing that He wills to make the world better, and trying to do my bit to help and wishing that it were more.'”
Though the great author’s name may not be instantly recognized by modern readers, his timeless poems and stories are still highly regarded. One of his earliest known stories, The Story of the Other Wise Man, was originally delivered from the pulpit to his congregation and later became a short book. Today that book has become ingrained in many families’ Christmas traditions, annually reading about the other wise man during the holiday season.
The illustrator for this edition: J. R. Flanagan
There have been several different illustrators who contributed to various printings of this story, but Flanagan’s full-color panels made this the edition we wanted to republish.
John Richard (J.R.) Flanagan was an Australian artist who was told in art school that he would never be able to draw. As was reflected throughout the rest of his life, his stubborn determination proved that teacher wrong. The young man traveled broadly, believing that staying in one place would limit him. He is credited with being the first Australian artist to create unique work for the American comic book industry we are familiar with.
While he was establishing a presence in the United States, he began by illustrating a reprinting of The Other Wise Man by Henry van Dyke in addition to other novels by famous authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling. He quickly moved on to become an illustrator for magazines and then comic books.
In 1927, a great description of the artist caught his likeness in The Sydney Truth newspaper: “Extraordinarily young, a quite delightful friendliness in the straight glance of this eye, and the contagion of his smile, possessing a rare charm of personality, bearing no insignia of greatness save the unobtrusive modesty that is the hall mark of the truly great, that’s Jack Flanagan.”
We hope you’ll enjoy this edition.
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