When she got to the wood, she met a Wolf 1920

Arthur Rackham made this fairytale illustration with ink and watercolor. Look at the way the artist layered translucent washes of color to create depth. I imagine Rackham was very deliberate, carefully building up the image bit by bit. That old tree on the left is incredible, isn't it? The knobbly trunk, with its twisting roots, is like something out of a dream. It makes me think of childhood memories and the way we used to imagine faces in trees. Rackham is reminding us to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty, inviting multiple interpretations. The sinuous lines create a sense of unease. You can almost feel the wolf’s calculating gaze. It’s a scene full of potential, full of possibilities. The beauty of this image is in the making of the painting. Artists are always in conversation, exchanging ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.