Characters from Bob Dylan Songs Brought to Life by Mark Hamilton

Photographer Mark Hamilton, from New Zealand, has taken characters from Bob Dylan’s lyrics and created dramatic, illustrative portraits for his series The Dylan Songbook. Two-Wheeled Gypsy Queen is inspired by lyrics from Gates of Eden. A man with a shotgun represents the title character from the Ballad of Hollis Brown, who kills his family and himself. Johnny in the Basement is from Subterranean Homesick Blues, while Louise Who Holds a Handful of Rain is from Visions Of Johanna. 

Other songs have inspired more than one portrait: Jezebel the nun and The Hysterical Bride both come from the song Tombstone Blues. Cinderella, Dr. Filth’s Nurse, and The Fisherman are all inspired by Desolation Row.

If you’re a Dylan fan, you’ll probably either love or hate these photos (depending how closely they match your own interpretation of his lyrics). However, I also think the photos can stand alone as interesting visual works. If you do feel an urge to listen to the songs, as I did, you can also check out the Spotify playlist I created below.

The Two-Wheeled Gypsy Queen

Hollis Brown

Johnny in the Basement

Jezebel

The Hysterical Bride

Cinderella

Dr. Filth’s Nurse

The Fisherman

Old Lady

Louise Who Holds a Handful of Rain