The Year's at the Spring 1920

Harry Clarke made this monochrome illustration, titled *The Year's at the Spring,* with ink on paper sometime before 1931. I can just imagine him, patiently crafting each line, one after another, and thinking about the rhythm of nature and the passage of time. I wonder, did he feel a sense of hope or melancholy as he worked? The stark contrast between light and shadow creates a feeling of drama, yet the lone figure with his cane, gazing out over the landscape, brings a quiet sense of peace. Clarke may have been thinking about other Irish artists too, and how he could build on the work of his predecessors. Each stroke of ink becomes a testament to the artist's hand and imagination. In turn, this inspires us to look, to feel, and to connect with his vision of the world. We are drawn to it as a form of embodied expression.