I hold a strong and determined brief for this book. It is genuinely creepy - malevolent and original. There were simply too many Beardsley clones around at this time, but Vernon Hill created a consistent and fresh landscpe in which to place his stock figures and a presiding deity.

The characteristics of the months are well done and not laboured. The line is taut and controlled without slacking in strength in the boring bits. He can make excellent patterns yet not lose the structure of the composition.

The writing at the end of the book, describing the narratives, seems to be by Hill himself and is the account written by his characters. No sentiment. Just a sense of awe and mysterious events. There is an unusual Pantheism beyond the usual capacities of British illustration of the day. The January page has a most unusual (and dangerous) depiction of the Christ Child.

How come he seems to have done so little in print?

Winged Figures, etching, 6" x 8" from Etching Today 1932