The fiery dragon

Agnes Parker was a wood engraver and illustrator, best known for the artful designs and technical skill of her book illustrations.

In this work, Parker illustrates the gothic tale of "The Fiery Dragon" for the book XXI Welsh Gypsy Folk Tales. In this story, the squire’s daughter is saved from a dragon by her father’s cowherd, who is disguised as a handsome knight in shining armor.

Parker approached the engravings for XXI Welsh Gypsy Folk Tales with a sense of daring that she had not explored in previous works, capturing a bold and expressive sense of drama. The scene exudes a feeling of passion, the squire’s daughter engulfed in flames with her face upturned and arms in the air.

The scene speaks to the "damsel in distress" trope, in which the woman, helpless and weak, is in danger and must be saved by a heroic male. In this image, however, the squire’s daughter is powerful in her femininity, her presence commanding the viewer’s attention.

- Rata Holtslag, 2018