Jack and the giant Cormoran. 1921

Margaret Evans Price conjured this image of Jack and the Giant Cormoran with fluid lines and a gentle palette of greens, browns, and creams. The giant strides forward, a club slung over his shoulder. I wonder, what was Price thinking as she worked? Perhaps she, like many artists, wrestled with the challenge of balance: how to bring the colossal down to size, how to elevate the small. The giant’s rough-hewn garb and heavy boots contrast with the delicate rendering of the natural world around him. I like that! Price has composed an image that celebrates both the grandeur of the fairy tale world and the pluck of its tiny hero, a theme that resonates across her body of work. It reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who managed to capture the enormity of human experience in her small scale paintings. In art, as in fairy tales, the conversation never ends, and each artist adds their voice to the chorus. It's a testament to the power of art to transform, enchant, and endlessly inspire.