Silk Both Sides

Here is another beautiful John R. Neill illustration for another story by Lorna Moon. This was published in Century Magazine in December 1921. The story was titled Silk Both Sides, and deals with a woman resigning herself to spinsterhood.

I think this piece is interesting for showing the technique used to change part of the image. On an elaborate drawing of this sort, if there is an unfortunate ink blot or the artist wants to make a change, it really isn't practical to start over. In this case, Neill altered the area with the woman's face by pasting a new piece of paper over the original drawing. When printed, this would not be visible. The large board has aged over time to a darker tone than the paper overlay, making it easier to see.

The drawing has wonderful detail, and elaborate pen-work creating various textures. Even though his Oz illustrations had become much simpler, this is certain proof that Neill was still capable of working in the elaborate style of earlier Oz books.