Put his strange case before old Solomon Caw 1913

Editor: So, here we have Arthur Rackham’s “Put his strange case before old Solomon Caw,” made in 1913, a watercolor piece, I believe. It has a curious narrative feel to it…a very strange tableau. What do you make of it? Curator: Curious indeed! It feels like stepping into a dream, doesn’t it? Or maybe a slightly unsettling bedtime story. I wonder about that imposing crow – almost like a judge perched above it all, wouldn’t you say? And the child in the tree—lost or found, what’s your take? Editor: Lost, definitely. I mean, look at the mice at the base of the tree; they look like they are pleading for help, too. Curator: Oh, splendid observation! Almost a visual trial, then? With the solemn crow as Solomon, the wise judge of the forest… It feels so intrinsically human, this need to bring our oddities, our "strange cases," before some form of higher power, even if that power is just an old bird in a tree. It kind of puts our daily struggles into perspective, don’t you think? Almost comical. Editor: True. It’s like Rackham is using fantasy to point out the absurdities of human behavior. Curator: Exactly. It’s a subtle, fantastical jab at our penchant for drama, our desperate search for answers. I wonder, though – if we were characters in this scene, which would we be? I would definitely be the mouse; a bit of a scaredy-cat sometimes. Editor: Ha! Okay, fair enough. After looking closely at this piece and your analysis, it's more layered than I initially thought. Rackham is definitely saying more about human nature here than meets the eye! Curator: Indeed! And isn’t it wonderful how art can hold up a mirror to ourselves, with just a bit of magic and crows?