They thanked her and said good-bye, and she went on her journey 1927

Arthur Rackham made this image with ink and watercolor on paper, sometime between 1867 and 1939. The thorny bushes and curious pool of faces are rendered with such fine detail that one can easily imagine him carefully applying each delicate wash of color, building up the image slowly, adding depth and shadow to the scene. I can relate, I think, to the feeling of making something dark but still beautiful, using line and shadow to create a world that is both enchanting and a little unsettling. What might Rackham have been thinking when he made this image? The thin, precise lines create a sense of unease, while the soft colors evoke a feeling of nostalgia and longing. I'm struck by the tension between the natural and the artificial. The brick well with its strange contents contrasts with the wild tangle of thorns, creating a sense of mystery and otherworldliness, like Paula Rego or Leonora Carrington. Rackham is in dialogue with them, you know?