Woman With Child 1904

Jessie Willcox Smith made this gentle cover illustration, Woman With Child, for Collier's magazine in 1904, probably with watercolor. It's a pretty picture, and her confident yet soft marks communicate peace and tranquility. The way Smith uses watercolor feels modern, in a way; it's so smooth and subtle, it's almost as if she's painting in the air. The colors are muted, almost washed out, giving the whole scene a dreamy quality. Look at the way the light filters through the trees, dappling the ground beneath them. It’s like she’s captured a fleeting moment, a secret shared between mother and child. The edges of everything are soft, almost blurry, like a memory fading at the edges. This makes me think of illustrators like Lisbeth Zwerger, who also bring such a sense of magic and wonder to their work. Art is always a conversation, after all, and these artists remind us of the beauty and mystery that can be found in the everyday.