Projet d'illustration pour Macbeth - les trois sorcières 

Editor: This is Luc-Olivier Merson's illustration project for Macbeth, depicting the three witches. It appears to be a mixed media piece, combining watercolor and ink drawings. It has an eerie feeling, and it is really about the strong contrast between light and shadow to create depth and drama, right? What strikes you most about the composition? Curator: Indeed. Notice how Merson employs layering to achieve this depth. The overlapping washes of watercolor create a sense of atmosphere, almost a fog, which is crucial to the overall narrative. How do these tonal shifts inform the subject depicted, specifically its emotional weight? Editor: Well, the light makes it look ominous...almost gothic in nature. Curator: Precisely. And it's not just the light itself, but its manipulation. Observe the directional hatching in the darker areas and the subtle gradations within the lighter tones. These elements construct an implicit geometry, wouldn’t you agree, offering form and space? Editor: Yes, I see that now. Is Merson intentionally subverting our expectations through these stylistic choices? Curator: It would be imprudent to assume intent, of course, however, through this reduction to near-monochrome he invites introspection into the elemental visual tools in artistic depiction. How else might Merson have articulated his conceptual vision for the "Macbeth" project through visual elements alone? Editor: It really highlights how technique itself carries meaning. This was very helpful. Curator: The process of analyzing these formal components has brought another vantage to understanding Merson's graphic choices.