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.
