Circe: Exploring Illustration's Role in Literature
Each illustration in this series is based on a chapter from Madeline Miller's 2018 novel, Circe. The book is written from the perspective of the goddess Circe, best known for her small role in The Odyssey. Circe grants the reader a feminist lens through which to view classic Greek myths. I chose key moments in the narrative to illustrate, which would be contextualized on the page preceding their respective chapters. I explored how narrative can be adapted into imagery, translating literary elements into compositional details. Some themes I drew upon from the text include identity, divinity, power dynamics, and connection to the natural world. I used traditional materials to complement my prioritization of nature imagery and reference my admiration of early 20th-century book illustration. As I created this work, I considered the historical experiences of women in illustration and literature, highlighting the importance of women’s stories being told by women and the value of illustration in storytelling.
Bio
Emma Barry is an illustrator from Freeport, Maine. Growing up in Maine allowed Emma to develop a strong connection to the natural world, which informs much of her work. She often works traditionally, favoring colored pencils, ink, watercolors, or gouache. Her use of traditional mediums enables her to stay present in her process and convey her interest in the artist’s hand being visible through mark-making. Emma enjoys using illustration to tell stories, creating compositions full of expressive movement to direct the viewer through the image. She applies her illustration practice in various contexts, including packaging, comics, printmaking, and book illustrations.
