Anthony R. (Anthony Reubens) Montalba

Born in Sweden and later naturalized in Britain, Anthony Reubens Montalba was a painter as well as a man of letters. He is most closely associated with Fairy Tales from All Nations, a story collection first published in 1849 and illustrated by Richard Doyle, which drew together folklore from many places for Victorian readers.

Beyond his literary work, Montalba was also known as an artist and as the head of a family of notable painters and sculptors connected with Venice in the later 19th century. That mix of visual art and storytelling gives his work a distinctive place in Victorian cultural life.

Although he is not a household name today, his books have endured through public-domain editions and library collections, and Fairy Tales from All Nations remains the work most likely to introduce modern readers to him.