There are several ways to tell a story. Since ancient times, images have always been one of the most common and direct ways to store and communicate an infinite variety of information, whether they depicted true events, tales, or personal experiences. Images facilitated reading, making it accessible to everyone at a time when illiteracy was widespread.

There are several ways to tell a story. Since ancient times, images have always been one of the most common and direct ways to store and communicate an infinite variety of information, whether they depicted true events, tales, or personal experiences. Images facilitated reading, making it accessible to everyone at a time when illiteracy was widespread.

As time passed, illustrators gradually lost importance, and the need to provide a visual representation of written text diminished. To get an idea of this shift, consider England during the 19th century, often regarded as the ‘Golden Age’ of illustration. During this period, printing techniques were refined, and magazines like Punch (1841) emerged. The proliferation of new visual styles and media has undoubtedly influenced the characteristics that define an artwork. While this evolution allowed the illustration market to grow, as I will explain later, it also led to the omission of the realistic, narrative representation that had previously characterized art in favor of a more conceptual approach.

Although still present in adult editorial and advertising work, today, illustration finds its largest market in the field of children's literature. For this reason, people often associate it with something purely childish. As a result, clear distinctions are frequently made when discussing illustration as a form of art, with some claiming that since the original idea for an illustration doesn't come from the artist, the final product cannot be considered art. The same argument is often, and unfairly, applied to comic books, which are sometimes dismissed as a simplistic and easy way to disseminate knowledge.

In an interview with The Guardian on April 19, 2003, Quentin Blake remarked that "illustration tends to live in the streets, rather than in the hermetically sealed atmosphere of the museum, and consequently, it has come to be taken less seriously." The foundation of my research lies in this very statement. Why is illustration so undervalued compared to other forms of art? What distinguishes it from the more revered fine arts? Are the differences really that significant?

Personally, I believe this attitude is reminiscent of the Middle Ages, when liberal arts were praised to the detriment of mechanical arts. During my artistic growth, I made my mission to understand the causes of such negative prejudices and, at the same time, demonstrate how superficial and misguided it is to categorize illustration as a mere inferior art form.