The frolic of the Rhine-Maidens 1910

This drawing by Arthur Rackham captures the frolic of the Rhine-maidens with delicate strokes and a dreamy palette of blues, browns, and grays. I imagine Rackham, bent over his drawing board, coaxing these mythical figures into existence, one charcoal line at a time. You know, it is interesting to think about the process of making an image like this. He's not just illustrating a scene, he's conjuring a whole world. Look at how the lines blur and blend, creating a sense of movement and fluidity. The textures! You can almost feel the cool water and the slippery rocks. The flowing hair, that seems to take on a life of its own, swirling and twirling like seaweed in the current. It's like he is thinking about other masters of line like Beardsley. In art, artists are constantly in conversation with each other, building upon the ideas and techniques of those who came before. What do you think?