Brunnhilde with her horse, at the mouth of the cave 1910

Arthur Rackham made this drawing of Brunnhilde with her horse, at the mouth of the cave, sometime between 1867 and 1939. What I love about his ink and watercolor drawings is the mark making. The lines and subtle colors are all about process. Looking closely, I see how the lines build up the forms, especially in the craggy rocks. See how he uses short, quick strokes to create texture and depth? It’s like he’s mapping the surface, feeling his way through the shapes. I am drawn to the way Rackham uses a limited palette, mostly muted grays and browns, with just a touch of color. It gives the drawing a dreamy, otherworldly quality. It makes me think of other illustrators like Aubrey Beardsley, who also used line in such a powerful way. But where Beardsley is all about elegance and refinement, Rackham is more interested in the raw, untamed beauty of nature. For me, this piece is about embracing the messy, unpredictable process of art making.