HITTY by Rachel Field 8 1929

Dorothy Lathrop made this book illustration for "Hitty" by Rachel Field, using pen and ink, and the resulting black and white image has a stark but playful quality. The drawing is all about lines and shapes, and how they come together to create something magical. It’s like Lathrop is saying, "Hey, I'm not gonna hide anything from you." It's all about the process of bringing this doll to life on paper. Look at the way she renders Hitty’s dress, using delicate floral patterns against bold contrasts, and consider how it shows us the textures and the physical presence of the dress. The density of the dark areas creates this push and pull effect with the lightness of the doll. This is something like the art of Kathe Kollwitz, who’s work also featured the themes of childhood and loss. Lathrop seems to be reminding us that art is an ongoing conversation, a game of telephone through time. It’s about seeing what others have done and then adding your own spin, your own voice, to the mix.