Monday, August 24, 2009

Fairy tales.


I picked up two very old books of fairy tales at an estate sale a few weeks ago. They look like two from a larger set, because each book is slim, with just four or five tales in each one.

The pictures are just stunning. Here's "Little Red Riding Hood:"



And "Rumpelstiltskin":

"Jack and the Beanstalk"...I love the funky design on that beanseller's pants:

These are from a story called "The Goose Girl," which is not a story I remember, but which seems to be about a passive-aggressive princess with golden hair:

We also have "Tom Thumb":

And "The Frog Prince," soon to be Disneyfied in a theater near you, I believe:

"Puss in Boots"--look at the cool windmill in the background:

And "Bluebeard," with his fetching wife poking her nose in where it was best left unpoked:

And here are a few of the pictures from the story of "Beauty and the Beast," a favorite of my nieces Natalie and Marissa.

The last picture is the picture that made me scoop up those books! Love the fireworks!

What I love about this style of illustration is all the detail, the floral patterns and the textures on clothes and fabrics, the swooping sleeves and flowing hair--just so perfect for fairy tales, especially.