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

This is Arthur Rackham’s fantastical illustration called ‘To my hammer’s swing Hitherward sweep Vapours and fogs!’. You can see the god, Thor, poised to strike, his hammer raised high against a backdrop of swirling, misty clouds. Looking at it, I feel the energy of the moment just before the storm breaks; Rackham probably wanted the viewer to feel the weight of expectation that comes from the moments before something big happens. The controlled strokes of ink and watercolor create a sense of depth and drama, and the limited palette of earthy tones, with touches of red, enhances the mythical atmosphere. I am imagining what it would be like to have to draw all those fine lines for the clouds. I love the way Rackham contrasts the detailed rendering of Thor with the more fluid and suggestive depiction of the landscape, which is pretty special. Rackham, like other illustrators of his time, probably saw himself as part of a tradition of storytelling, where images and words work together to bring myths and legends to life. In a way, painters and illustrators are all in conversation with each other. They give each other ideas.