Illustration for The Glass Fortress 

Tom Lovell created this illustration for The Glass Fortress, and it presents a powerful scene of a woman on horseback. Illustrations like this one, especially during Lovell’s time, often reinforced or challenged societal norms. Here, the woman’s act of riding—jumping, no less—over a landscape torn asunder is striking. Traditionally, equestrian activities were often associated with the upper classes and were male dominated. This woman's active participation in such a daring act disrupts the passive roles often assigned to women. There's also the setting; it looks like a film set. The chaos of the scene perhaps mirrors the disruption of gender roles and expectations. By placing the woman in such a dynamic and traditionally masculine scenario, the image invites us to consider the changing roles of women and the breaking down of social barriers. It asks what it means to take control and leap over obstacles, both literal and symbolic.