‘Mopsa The Fairy’ by Jean Ingelow 1920

Dorothy Lathrop made this illustration for ‘Mopsa The Fairy’ using ink, and it’s all about the push and pull of black and white. She embraces the stark contrast, using it to create both depth and a bit of dreamy mystery. The mountains at the bottom are a series of hatching lines, like she’s really digging into the surface of the paper. Above, the fairy flies through the night sky. The textures up here are built from tiny dots that feel almost pixelated. Look at the way that Lathrop contrasts the solid black in the top right with the delicate lines in the center, using texture to create a sense of light and shadow. I love the way the inky blacks both conceal and reveal the forms, embracing the playful and unsettling qualities of fairy tales. The crispness reminds me of Kara Walker, who, like Lathrop, revels in the power of silhouettes. Art's not about answers but about opening up possibilities, and this illustration does just that.