Pelagia and Hypatia. Illustration from a 1914 Edition of Charles Kingsley's 1853 Novel Hypatia 1914

Byam Shaw made this illustration of Pelagia and Hypatia in 1914 for a new edition of Charles Kingsley's novel. It's a pretty formal scene, but it's rendered with a hand-drawn energy, like a sketch. Looking closely, there's a lot of detail to unpack: the dense, almost frantic linework that gives everything a sense of movement and life, but also, well, a kind of static freeze. The contrast between the figures in the foreground and those on the steps of the building. The figures in the back become more abstract as they ascend the stairs. It's got this really intricate mark-making all over it, especially in the characters' clothing and hair, and the horse's headpiece. It feels almost obsessive, like Shaw was really caught up in the act of drawing. The overall effect is one of tension and drama, but also, a certain lightness of touch. I’m reminded of Aubrey Beardsley, another British illustrator who used a similar sense of linear detail.