We are all aware that illustration has always been one of our most important visual communication mediums. Since the first cave paintings from the Palaeolithic period (30,000 B.C. to 10,000 B.C.), humans have felt the need to represent, display, and store elements from their memory, whether to tell stories or to exorcise their fears. But what exactly is 'illustration'? Where does that fine line begin—if it even exists—that separates illustration from fine arts? To answer this question, I would like to start by quoting and briefly analyzing a series of existing definitions that caught my attention.

**Existing Definitions**

Ivan Viola and Meister E. Gröller provide a very precise and scientific definition in their work *Smart Visibility in Visualization: Computational Aesthetics in Graphics, Visualization and Imaging* (2005):

- "The aim of illustration is to generate expressive images that effectively convey certain information via the visual channel to the human observer. Additionally, illustrators and visual artists in general create images that follow principles of visual harmony such as color combinations, scene composition, contrast, dynamics, or other aesthetic aspects."

This particular excerpt from Viola and Gröller’s work summarizes the main objective of an artist, referencing human perception. While very interesting, this definition describes illustration from a scientific perspective, offering only a superficial understanding of illustration. For this reason, it is not sufficient to fully grasp the true meaning of this practice.

In an interview with *Mother Jones* magazine (October 2014), Charles M. Blow offers an intriguing metaphor:

- "An illustration is a visual editorial—it's just as nuanced. Everything that goes into it is a decision you make: every color, every line weight, every angle."

Just as the editor of a newspaper offers his interpretation of the most important event of the day, an illustrator does the same with his artwork, providing a personal interpretation of a commissioned story. I find this sentence both interesting and fitting, especially considering that illustration and editorial work often go hand in hand (e.g., editorial cartoons).

In his painting manual *Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist* (2009), James Gurney states:

- "There is no line between fine art and illustration; there is no high or low art; there is only art, and it comes in many forms."

I find great meaning in this seemingly simple sentence—it perfectly encapsulates what I try to convey when people ask me about the difference between an illustration and an artwork. The word ‘artist’ doesn’t necessarily refer to a painter or sculptor, just as ‘art’ is not limited to fine art but includes every aspect of art itself, encompassing countless forms of creativity and aesthetic expression. It is very important to keep this concept in mind to avoid any possible misunderstanding as we proceed with our artistic journey.

In an interview with *The Guardian* (19 April 2003), Sir Quentin Blake, founder of the House of Illustration [chapter 4], touches upon the subject of illustration in the East. He states:

- "In China and Japan, there's no distinction between painting and illustration, but here there's a huge gulf between 'fine' art and applied or commercial art."

I’ve been to Japan twice in the past, and I can confirm his observation. I believe illustration and comics (Manga) are highly regarded and considered important elements of Japan’s cultural heritage. They are often regarded as being on the same level as the finest artistic works and literary genres. However, people are often very critical and quick to draw 'barriers' when it comes to distinguishing what they consider to be true art and what they simply describe as part of commercial, ‘Pop’ culture.

Blake makes another comparison during a different interview, this time for *Time Out* editors (18 December 2006):

- "I don't think there's an illustrator who's as good as a Titian or a Rembrandt... but then, Rembrandt was a bit of an illustrator on the quiet, you know?"

The concept of art has gradually but radically changed over the centuries. Before the end of the 18th century, new forms of expression such as photography, industrial architecture, and handmade objects began to take shape. The main purposes of artworks were mostly to represent and preserve a particular subject, tell stories, or simply embellish a specific space. If we think about the Sistine Chapel’s frescoes painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), their subjects are mostly representations of religious stories and biblical events. We could discuss for hours how the artist masterfully interpreted every scene and character, leaving his unmistakable mark on every inch of his work. There may not be any particular concept behind it, but we do not feel its absence because its primary purpose was decorative and narrative. Following the various sections that divide the vault, we can visually rediscover the main stories that make up the biblical myth, piece by piece. Like a book on the wall, the narration proceeds along the ceiling and then all the way down the wall, above the altar, where *The Last Judgment* leads to the conclusion.

Michelangelo provides a great example of how fine arts and illustration can merge into a single practice, but could we name many other artists whose artistic production took this particular direction? Quoting an artist from Sir Blake’s statement, Rembrandt (1606-1669) is another great example. Portraits of people, animals, and still life characterize Rembrandt's work—the almost obsessive details of his subjects resemble those of a modern illustrator.

My next example is the photographer Aaron Siskind. Speaking about illustration, he argues that:

- "In any art, you don't know in advance what you want to say—it's revealed to you as you say it. That's the difference between art and illustration." (no date)

When considering Siskind’s point of view, I’m not sure that most artists start an artwork without the faintest idea about a subject or concept. The photographer is correct in saying that you already know how your story will develop. However, in illustration, just like in any other artistic field, the composition of the artwork reveals itself as you work on it. Every line and detail you choose to add can drastically change the final appearance, leading to a result that is completely different from what the artist initially sketched. I believe Siskind’s statement could be related to Outsider art, or Art Brut—in this case, the difference he refers to would be easily understandable.

In conclusion to this chapter, I would like to mention a quotation by Howard Crosby, taken from Lloyd Albert Johnson’s book, *A Toolbox for Humanity: More than 9000 Years of Thought* (2003):

- "A wisely chosen illustration is almost essential to fasten the truth upon the ordinary mind, and no teacher can afford to neglect this part of his preparation."

I believe this sentence is as simple as it is explanatory. With few words, Crosby summarizes what the ultimate purpose of an image is: to deliver an immediate and clear message. In education, illustrations can be used to attract the student’s attention, communicate information, help them understand, or make it easier for them to remember a context by recalling the image.

**What’s Its Purpose?**

Looking at the quotes I analyzed in the previous chapter, you can see how many concepts and—often opposing—definitions can be given to a single word. Art is generally subjective, and since illustration is part of it, it can be challenging to provide a precise and indisputable definition. What we do know is that illustration is one of the most ancient art forms of all time.

Long before modern books were invented, ancient Egyptians had the custom of representing figures and pictures with religious motifs, using walls, wood, and papyri as mediums. Egyptian hieroglyphs themselves consisted of a consecutive series of symbols that combined art with logographic, syllabic, and alphabetic elements.

With the invention of the Codex at the turn of the 1st century A.D., the scroll was gradually replaced—opening new horizons in the field of illustration, leading to the invention of the miniature. These were small-format illustrations whose main function was to decorate the first capital letters written inside manuscripts, indicating the beginning of a new chapter. Miniatures constitute a fundamental part of the artistic heritage of the Carolingian period (8th-9th century). The book played a significant role during the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire. It was a medium to store and disseminate written laws, as well as a means to retrieve ancient knowledge.

As society became more independent from the church, miniatures began to appear in private prayer books, herbariums, school texts, and even playing cards. Around the 11th century, with the first importation of paper from China, this new medium allowed texts and illustrations to be produced and distributed in far greater quantities. Woodcut printing was among the most commonly used techniques for these types of images, until the end of the 15th century, when the printing press was invented and copper plates became the preferred medium (etching technique). Thanks to this new invention, the book market further expanded across Europe—though the first newspapers and magazines began to appear only from the 17th century. Satirical journals and fashion magazines made wide use of printed illustrations, which were intended solely for an adult audience.

For illustration purely dedicated to children, we had to wait until the 19th century—indeed, in earlier centuries, the field of childhood had been somewhat neglected compared to the adult audience, which offered wider possibilities. This period is considered of fundamental importance for book illustration, especially in England, which saw the emergence of legendary talents like Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882), Arthur Hughes (1832-1915) [chapter 2.3], John Lockwood Kipling (1837-1911), and Beatrix Potter (1866-1943). In the USA, the period from 1880 to

the early 20th century is referred to as The Golden Age of Illustration. This name is due to an unprecedented production of gorgeous illustrations for books and magazines, which managed to combine quality with quantity, helping to maintain incredibly low reproduction costs. This was made possible by the arrival of new technologies and a growing public demand for new graphic arts.

Today, illustration finds its largest market in the field of children’s books. Aside from satirical magazines, encyclopedias, and specific educational books, the custom of illustrating adult books has almost completely disappeared, except for the cover image. In the advertising field, commercial illustration remains common—despite photography being a huge competitor. While on one hand, artists have the opportunity to work remotely thanks to modern technology and have more freedom to choose their own style, on the other hand, the market has become severely restricted, and few illustrators succeed in leaving a lasting mark in history. Despite this, illustration was, and still remains, a fundamental element of our culture and everyday life.

Centuries may have passed, but the goals of illustration have not. Whether the purpose is narrative, decorative, religious, commercial, or purely representational—images communicate with us through a visual language that only an artist can ‘write.’ Illustration is not just about telling stories; it is also about expressing messages and emotions from the artist’s point of view, sparking the viewer’s curiosity and making them feel part of a story that would most likely lack impact if written solely in text form.