illus. for her own The Lost Merry-go-round 1934

Dorothy Lathrop created this illustration, for her own "The Lost Merry-Go-Round", using ink, and maybe some pencil to sketch out the figures. The black and white contrast, with stark white figures popping out against a dark background, gives the whole image a slightly surreal, dreamlike feel. And look at the way Lathrop uses lines – there’s so much detail in the lion's mane, each strand carefully drawn, and the leaves, like tiny hearts. It’s almost obsessive, but in a good way! It reminds me of artists like Aubrey Beardsley, with that same love for intricate patterns and dramatic contrasts. Take the lion for example: the whole piece relies on a certain kind of playful menace to make the image pop – so, is the boy scared or is this a game? Ultimately, there is a level of ambiguity, here, as it is up to the viewer to decide.