Snowdrop and Other Tales by the Brothers Grimm 1920

Arthur Rackham made this ink illustration for a collection of Grimms fairy tales. I wonder if he started by sketching out the general composition, then added the darker, more defined lines on top. I can imagine Rackham hunched over his drawing board in 1908, carefully etching in the details of the boy’s pointed hat and delicate little toes. He's standing on a puffy cloud, with what looks like a cape flapping behind him. Is he surprised? Or is this an image of triumph, as the text suggests? I sympathize with the artist because drawings can take a lot of thought; it's an act of constant decision-making, all those tiny details to get right. Rackham's work here is a far cry from the abstract paintings of Kandinsky or the pop art of Warhol, yet all these artists are participating in a conversation. One about what it means to express oneself through the language of images. It's a lineage that keeps evolving, each artist building upon the ideas and techniques of those who came before, and this beautiful drawing is part of it.