The sweet and touching tale of Fleur and Blanchefleur 1922

Editor: So, this is Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale's "The Sweet and Touching Tale of Fleur and Blanchefleur," made in 1922 using pen and ink. It gives off a very quaint, storybook-like feel. I am wondering, what is your impression? Curator: It really tickles my fancy, you know? Like peering into a half-remembered dream from childhood. Fortescue-Brickdale seems to have perfectly bottled that nostalgia, hasn't she? It’s deceptively simple, that pen and ink work. I mean, consider how she manages to capture a sense of depth with such a minimal palette. Makes me think – what sort of "sweet and touching tale" do you imagine unfolds here? Is it something you’d want to dive into headfirst, or admire from a safe distance? Editor: I'd say both! There's an innocence that draws me in. What does it evoke for you? Curator: Oh, it's an invitation to my inner child. To embrace simplicity, find the extraordinary in the ordinary. To just sit down with a really great book, let time slip through my fingers and to re-live that first brush with beauty, terror and mystery. Don't you feel that the colour is there only to emphasise our feeling of dream and fantasy. Editor: Absolutely. It makes me want to explore other illustrations of hers and compare. Curator: Precisely! We have a story to dive in... What shall we do?