The Mouse and the Lion, The Married Mouse 1908

Walter Crane made this witty illustration using ink and watercolor, and it's a perfect example of how a simple palette can tell a complex story. I love how he's combined the images and the text so that one can read the words alongside what's happening in the image. It's like Crane is thinking through the act of storytelling itself, inviting us to consider both the literal and the symbolic. I imagine him carefully inking each line, almost caressing the paper as he builds up these delicate scenes. The limited color scheme focuses our attention on the contrast between the tiny mouse and the massive lion. The narrative unfolds through his hand, each stroke filled with intention, each choice of color adding emotional depth. It is a reminder that art, at its core, is a conversation across time, where artists borrow, respond, and transform each other’s ideas into something new. This illustration reminds us that there's so much possibility in embracing the unexpected.