Telling a story in a standalone painting, and telling one in illustrations, are very different. Examples by Masaccio, Poussin, Crane, Rackham, and Hogarth.
Rackham
How Samuel Palmer used ink in paintings, and some fine work using the milk protein casein, by Gustav Klimt and others.
From its publication just before Christmas in 1843, Dickens’ story has been hugely popular and extensively illustrated. One set by Arthur Rackham is unquestionably fine art.
The depiction of Pandora opening her box and unleashing all its ills on the world remained popular, with paintings by Alma-Tadema, Bouguereau, Waterhouse, Rackham, Redon, and others.
The Eclectic Light Company 