The Fairy Circus 1931

Dorothy Lathrop made this monochrome illustration of the Fairy Circus with ink on paper. Looking at the circus riders, aren’t they something? The fairies are perched on these stout mice, with the reins tight in their grasp; it’s a beautiful image, full of movement. All these fine lines must have taken ages to complete! I’m really drawn to how the texture of the dark night sky is made of these myriad dots. Lathrop has used a stippling technique to build up tone, and it feels like the light is pushing forward out of the darkness. The darkness itself is full of character, not a flat matte black but a lively speckled surface. I love that tension and the way Lathrop celebrates the potential in her materials. There’s something of Aubrey Beardsley in this image, I think. Both artists use a monochromatic palette to create enchanting illustrations of ethereal subjects. Just as in Lathrop’s picture, Beardsley’s drawings invite you to imagine a story beyond the image itself.