Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe 1923

Harry Clarke made this black and white illustration for Edgar Allan Poe’s *Tales of Mystery and Imagination*, and it really pulls you in! It’s all intricate lines and patterns, like he built it up piece by piece, each mark carefully considered. I can imagine him hunched over his desk, lost in the world of Poe, trying to capture that sense of mystery and the macabre. Look at the way he uses hatching to create depth and shadow, almost like he’s sculpting with ink. The woman is so elegant, while the man is so imposing. It reminds me a little of Beardsley, or maybe even some of the German Expressionists – that same love of the dark and the fantastical. It’s like Clarke is in conversation with all these artists who came before him, and adding his own unique voice to the mix. It's a reminder that art isn't just about what you see, but about the feelings and ideas it stirs up inside you.