The Bundle of Sticks 1908

Walter Crane made this illustration, The Bundle of Sticks, using lines that are both bold and delicate—a real dance of precision. And what is this a print of? A fable! I imagine Crane hunched over his drawing board, meticulously hatching those lines to give form to the figures, to give moral instruction, to the texture of the trees. The sepia tones create a kind of antique feel, like an old memory being gently coaxed back to life. Look at the way the figures strain against the sticks, then how easily the single stick snaps. It reminds me of those moments in the studio when you are struggling, but somehow you've got to push past that resistance, until the painting, or the sticks, break open with ease. Crane is speaking to us across time, reminding us that art, like life, is about finding strength in unity.