Engaging essays on a wide-variety of illustration-based subjects by knowledgable authors, scholars, artists, and students can be explored here.
Bascove’s Shifting Perspective
Steven Heller | March 7, 2022 - Bascove’s work was in high demand among those art directors who appreciated the strength of her black print technique.
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.
Thomas Nast: The Rise and Fall of the Father of Political Cartoons
Stella Wei | January 7, 2021 - Known as the father of political cartoons, no other artist wielded more power in influencing public opinion of American politics during the 19th century.
Dan Smith: Rediscovered Star of the World
Alex Bialy | May 27, 2020 - This essay examines the remarkable career of a prolific Golden Age illustrator of full-page Sunday newspaper supplements and painted Western subjects.
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.
The Curious Case of the Stolen Composition
Heather Campbell Coyle | September 18, 2015 - Inspired by John Sloan's "The Sherlock Holmes Puzzle," Heather Campbell Coyle explores the visual history of Sherlock Holmes.