‘O Grandmother, what big ears you have got’, she said 1920

Arthur Rackham made this illustration of Little Red Riding Hood, sometime around 1902, probably with ink and watercolor. I’m really drawn to the way he uses color – it's almost like he's not afraid to let the colors bleed and blend together, creating a sense of depth and texture that feels really alive. Look at the way he renders the wolf's fur, using these tiny, scratchy lines. You can almost feel the texture of the fur, it's kind of unsettling. But then, look at the way he paints Red Riding Hood's cloak. The red is so vibrant, almost luminous. It's like a beacon of innocence in this dark, creepy space. Rackham’s work reminds me a bit of Paula Rego, particularly in the way she reimagines traditional fairy tales with a darker, more psychological edge. But Rackham’s mark making feels so unique, it's as if he's inviting us to get lost in the details, to find our own way through the story. It really underscores the idea that art is always an ongoing dialogue, a process of reinterpretation and reinvention.