‘To my hammer’s swing Hitherward sweep Vapours and fogs!’ 1910

Arthur Rackham made this illustration, ‘To my hammer’s swing Hitherward sweep Vapours and fogs!’, in 1919, with an eye for dramatic detail. It's so cool to see how he builds atmosphere with these wispy, almost watercolour-like washes of colour, contrasted with the very crisp, precise pen lines, especially in the figure’s cloak and beard. Rackham's use of ink is really something here, the way he defines the textures, from the fur to the rocky outcrop, its all so tactile. Then, the touches of muted colour, peach and rust, add such a sense of depth, but it's the penwork that really grabs me. Look at the swirling lines in the sky, building up this ominous feeling of a storm brewing. And it’s the details that make it; the figure’s clenched fist, the way his cloak seems to billow even though there's no wind. He reminds me a bit of Aubrey Beardsley, both these artists share this amazing sense of line. Like a conversation, Rackham's piece keeps asking us questions and embracing the mystery of what we see.