Neither Beast nor Bird 1908

Walter Crane’s “Neither Beast nor Bird” is an illustration in ink and watercolour, probably made for a children’s book. Crane’s mark-making is flat, like stencils or block prints – everything outlined, shapes filled with tints. I imagine Crane hunched over his work, delicately applying each colour with a fine brush. All those tiny creatures must have taken ages! He’s clearly telling a story with this image. It makes me think about Aesop’s fables, where animals behave like humans. Here, the artist presents us with a scene from the animal world that reveals something fundamental about human nature. The bat, stranded between two worlds, is such a sympathetic figure! It reminds me of a lot of artists I know, actually. This image speaks to the dangers of trying to please everyone, and the loneliness of not belonging. But like so many children's book illustrators, Crane is teaching us that we can learn valuable life lessons from stories and pictures.