The artwork titled “The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her flamingo” is an illustration by Arthur Rackham, a notable artist associated with the Art Nouveau movement. This piece is part of a series of illustrations made for Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” and it exemplifies the modern style of the Art Nouveau period.
In the image, we see a representation of Alice from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Alice is depicted in the act of trying to handle a flamingo, which is resisting her efforts by arching its neck away from her. The illustrative style is intricate and delicate, with emphasis on the lines and forms rather than on color, as it is a black and white image. Alice is shown wearing a dress with striped stockings, conveying the attire of a girl from the Victorian era. The flamingo, which is supposed to act as a croquet mallet in Carroll’s tale, appears quite large and cumbersome, adding a sense of whimsy and absurdity to the image, typical of the Wonderland series. The surrounding environment is minimally indicated by just a few leaves and grass details, which puts the focus firmly on the interaction between Alice and the awkwardly posed bird.