Illustration for Mikhail Stelmakh's book 'In the Hedgehog's Windmill' 1956

This illustration for Mikhail Stelmakh's book 'In the Hedgehog's Windmill' by Hryhorii Havrylenko is made using delicate lines that create a world of emotion and narrative. The artist’s hand is really evident here; the varying pressure of the pen, the way the ink bleeds slightly into the paper. The lines feel like a language. See the rabbit, almost skeletal, reduced to its most essential form as it bawls. Every mark seems to carry a load of feeling. Then there is the bird, who is a kind of doctor, perched, with his tools and the bottle. The vulnerability of the rabbit feels very exposed. This piece reminds me of some of William Steig’s illustrations. Both share this incredible ability to wring profound expressions from simple drawings. It shows how the most direct and honest marks can sometimes speak the loudest.