Illustration for the Book Comet in Moominland 1946

Tove Jansson crafted this Illustration for the Book Comet in Moominland using watercolor and ink. In this underwater scene, a Moomin figure plummets downward, limbs outstretched. The image captures a moment of descent, a motif rich in symbolism. We see echoes of Icarus, falling from the sky, and the various depictions of the fall of man. The act of falling, often seen as a loss of innocence or a confrontation with mortality, engages our collective memory of gravity's inescapable pull. This is akin to the hero's journey—a descent into the unknown, a confrontation with the subconscious. The surrounding aquatic life, seemingly indifferent, amplifies the Moomin's vulnerability. The water itself—a symbol of the subconscious—embraces the figure, evoking primal feelings of submersion and transformation. It is through this eternal return to primordial depths that symbols are continually revived.