The Fairy Circus 1931

Dorothy Lathrop made this ink drawing to capture the magic of a fairy circus. I imagine her working away in her studio, slowly building up the image with delicate, precise marks. The stark black and white contrast throws the fairies into sharp relief against a stippled night sky. Lathrop coaxes the viewer into a world of miniature spectacle. See how one fairy extends a hand to another, who dives fearlessly, suspended by only a thin thread? The artist had to think like an acrobat, a spider, an architect, and a dancer all at once. She’s not just illustrating fairies but trying to capture the feeling of flying, balancing, and performing for an audience. She shares affinities with illustrators like Arthur Rackham, who were similarly devoted to bringing the otherworldly into view. Lathrop’s fairies feel mischievous and free, and her image is an invitation to imagine unseen worlds.