Philammon Among the Goths. Illustration from a 1914 Edition of Charles Kingsley's 1853 Novel Hypatia 1914

Byam Shaw made this illustration around 1914 using ink, and what strikes me first is the density of the marks, all those hatched lines building up form and shadow, like a visual tapestry woven from light and dark. Look at the way Shaw renders the fabrics, each fold and drape articulated with such care. It's almost obsessive, this attention to detail, and it speaks to a love of process, a kind of slow, deliberate looking and marking that feels almost meditative. I’m drawn to the figure kneeling with the sword, his eyes are wild and anxious, rendered in such detail with cross hatching to create a sense of depth and emotion. This piece reminds me a bit of Aubrey Beardsley, particularly in its use of strong, graphic lines and decadent imagery, but Shaw brings a certain weight and seriousness to his work that feels distinctly his own. And, of course, the ambiguity of the scene—the story it hints at but never fully reveals—is what makes it so compelling. Like all good art, it invites us to participate, to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the table.