Illustration for Zlaté Rouno 1920

Artuš Scheiner made this illustration for Zlaté Rouno, and it's like stepping into a dream—or maybe a fairy tale. Look at the deep reds and greens, and the way the light flickers around the edges of things. I can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the page, layering colors, figuring out how to make that dragon-like creature feel both scary and… I don’t know, maybe a little bit sad? The colors create a kind of mood, mysterious and a little ominous. The figure in the robe looks like she’s casting a spell, and the way Scheiner painted her, she seems to be emerging from the shadows. Do you think he thought about the story as he was painting, or was he just feeling his way through the colors and shapes? It reminds me of other symbolist paintings of that time, where artists were trying to capture something beyond what you can see with your eyes. They were all in conversation, sharing ideas about how to make art that speaks to something deeper.