The Treasure of Carcassonne 1928

Dorothy Lathrop made this ink drawing, The Treasure of Carcassonne, with delicate lines and bold contrasts. It reminds me that artmaking is often a process of unveiling, like shining a light in the dark. Look at how Lathrop uses dense, stippled marks to create a shadowy depth around the central figures. The white of the paper becomes the light source, casting the figures and forms into sharp relief. See how the steps become almost abstract blocks of solid black? The texture in the lower left corner feels almost tactile, a jumble of hatched marks suggesting rough stone or earth. It's like the artist is inviting us to feel the cool, dampness of the cavern. I'm reminded of other illustrators like Aubrey Beardsley who used stark black and white to create dramatic, dreamlike spaces. Lathrop's piece shares that ability to make the ordinary feel magical, transforming a simple story into an adventure of light and shadow.