Engaging essays on a wide-variety of illustration-based subjects by knowledgable authors, scholars, artists, and students can be explored here.
The Red Rose Girls: An alliance for artistic success
Barbara Rundback Venus van Ness | March 8, 2021 - During an era when women were expected to get married, raise children, and manage a household, Elizabeth Shippen Green (1871-1954), Jessie Wilcox Smith (1863-1935), and Violet Oakley (1874-1961) chose to pursue careers in the arts.
Constructing New Meaning in Children’s Books: The Work of Faith Ringgold, Jerry Pinkney, and Vashti Harrison
Lee Price | February 23, 2021 - This essay focuses on the ways Black creatives have utilized the medium of children’s books to construct positive imagery, meaning, purpose, and pride.
The Hidden Emotions in M.C. Escher’s Artwork
Dongyan Xu | February 16, 2021 - Contrary to M.C. Escher’s statement that his work contains no hidden meanings, the artist’s experiences, emotions, and worldview are reflected in the artwork he made throughout his life.
Belonging to the Realm of Ideas: A Look at Goya In Comparison to the Modern Day Illustration Practices of Andrea Kowch, Amy Cutler, and Shaun Tan
Jordan Cannon | January 14, 2021 - Francisco Goya utilized fantastical elements to critique, communicate, and introspect. Today, Kowch, Cutler, and Tan exhibit these same focuses within their art through the development of their own magical realities.
Enchanted: Illustrated Fairy Tales
Jesse M. Kowalski | September 23, 2020 - Images depicted alongside centuries-old children's stories reinforced the message conveyed within the tales.
Mary Hallock Foote: An Artist in the Old West
Richard J. Boyle | April 11, 2020 - This essay by noted art historian and author Richard J. Boyle examines the life and career of Mary Hallock Foote, whose illustrations and writings drew upon her life experiences on the frontier during the late-19th century.
Fashion Illustration from the 16th Century to Now
Sarah Goethe-Jones | March 12, 2019 - Fashion illustration not only captures nuance through gesture, but transforms the graphic representation of a garment into an object of desire.
Children’s Book Illustrators in the Golden Age of Illustration
Corryn Kosik | June 26, 2018 - A look at some of the most influential illustrators working in 19th and 20th century England during the Golden Age of Illustration.
Inside Pulp Magazines: Detective Mysteries, Weird Tales, and Fantastic Adventures
Jesse M. Kowalski | January 11, 2018 - Printed on cheap paper, pulp magazines were an inexpensive alternative to "slicks" like "The Saturday Evening Post."