Falling Into Despair

A woman falling into addiction in an endless universe of drugs is captured in this haunting illustration that appeared with The Times Opinion article, “‘I Am Going to Die if I Keep Living the Way I Am.’ She Was Right,” published July 20, 2018. The image is part of our collection of editorial illustrations being offered for the first time ever to the public as unframed or framed fine-art prints.

Illustrations have played an instrumental role in The Times’s journalistic legacy since December 11, 1861, when we published our first drawings – front page cartoons of James Gordon Bennett, rival publisher of The Herald. Today, The Times commissions thousands of original illustrations from freelance artists around the world. Artists, each with a distinct approach and personality, enhance stories with thought-provoking images that enrich the reading experience.

This image was created by Dadu Shin, an illustrator based in Brooklyn. He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2010 and has been working with The New York Times since. He has worked for a variety of other clients, including The New Yorker, Facebook and Armani. While he really likes making pictures and looking at pictures, his real dream is to grow a foot taller and become a professional basketball player.