Illustration art

David Apatoff singled out this scene around a WWII monument for special recommendation -- for though "executed with a dull crayon,it conveys astonishing subtlety and sensitivity."





Which got me thinking about graphics of Goya -- and what qualities they might share -- or not.






Goya doesn't give me the immediate feeling of the marking-crayon --- and Briggs doesn't give me the delicious color of value or profound sense of space.

There's also a different moral/spiritual world view here, isn't there ? Goya still seems to be in that sacred, mythic world of Baroque painting -- where drama is cosmic -- while Briggs lives in a world where drama is more personal (as the hunched-shoulders character seems to say "we met the monster of war -- and we're still here, baby !"

Maybe if Briggs hadn't drawn such an ugly statue, I would have enjoyed him more -- but if the statue isn't ugly -- and if the design doesn't have a consequent sense of smallness -- it would be presenting a much different feeling -- from a much different world.



BTW -- I can't make out the text on the statue's plinth -- but then, I'm never sure I've got the right translation of the text appended to Goya lithographs either)

BTW II --- David's post on Briggs was inspired by Leif Peng who also has a wonderful blog about illustration - though limited to the 40's and 50's.

I can't believe that there's only two illustration blogs in English -- and where are the blogs for magazine illustration in Spanish, German, French etc ? Where are the blogs for editorial cartoons ? Aren't there more people who love and want to talk about these things ?

At least I've found a blog for comic books - for those who still nourish the pre-adolescent-child-within ('nuff said)