HITTY by Rachel Field 3 1929

Dorothy Lathrop made this image for Rachel Field's 'Hitty' – it's all lines, hatching, and contrast. Look at the spider’s body, a fuzzy mass of tiny strokes, a real testament to mark-making as a way to build form. What I love about this image is the way she uses black and white to conjure up a world that feels both cozy and a little menacing. The texture is everything, right? From the spindly lines of the web to the bold stripes of Hitty's perch, Lathrop isn't just illustrating a scene; she's building a whole mood, a story in every stroke. Take the way she renders the girl's dress, all delicate floral patterns, so different from the wild tangle of the spider. It reminds me a little of Lynd Ward, his woodcuts, that same commitment to the power of black and white. It's about embracing the limitations and finding freedom in the process, isn't it? Art isn’t about answers; it's about how we see and feel our way through the questions.