Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Grimm's Fairy Tales Series

Series for "Once Upon a Fairy Tale" Show at Westfield State Downtown Art Gallery Nov 2012-Dec 2012
"Rapunzel" graphite, colored pencil, tea stained paper. approx 20x17"

"Rapunzel had beautiful long hair that shown like gold. When she heard the voice of the witch she would....unbind the plaits of her hair, and let it down twenty ells below.

After they had lived thus a few years, it happened that as the King's son was riding through the wood, he came upon the tower;and as he drew near he heard a voice sining so sweetly...It was Rapunzel in her loneliness trying to pass away the time with sweet songs (94)."


"The Rose" watercolor, 11x14'

"There was once a poor woman who had two children. The youngest had to go every day into the forest to fetch wood. Once when she had gone a long way to seek it, a little child, who was quite strong, came and helped her industriously to pick up the wood and carry it home, and then before a moment had passed the strange child disappeared. The child told her mother this, but at first she would not believe it. At length she brought a rose home, and told her mother that the beautiful child had given this rose, and had told her that when it was in full bloom, he would return. The mother put the rose in water. One morning her child could not get out of bed. The mother went to the bed and found her dead, but looking very happy. One the same morning, the rose was in full bloom (374)."



 "The Griffin" watercolor, pen. approx 13x26"

"[The King] however, [would] not give [Stupid Hans] his daughter yet, and said he must now bring him a feather from the Griffin's tail... At length Hans arrived at the Griffin's house, but the wife only was at home, and not the Griffin himself. Then the woman asked him what he wanted. Thereupon he told her everything...'But look here, my good friend, no Christian can speak to the Griffin. He devours them all.'...In the middle of the night when the Griffin was snoring loudly, Hans reached out and plucked a feather from his tail (200-201)."


The Fox and the Horse, watercolor and pen

"A peasant had a faithful horse which has grown old....'...if you prove yourself still strong enough to bring me a lion here, I will maintain you...' [says the peasant to the horse].
'Why do you hang your head so, and go about all alone?' [says the fox]... 'I will help you. Just lay yourself down, stretch yourself out, as if you were dead, and do not stir.' The horse did as the fox desired, and the fox went to the lion...'A dead horse is lying outside there, just come with me, you can have a rich meal....I tell you what-I will fasten it to you by the tail, and then you can drag it into your cave, and devour it in peace.'...The fox tied the lion's legs with the horse's tail, and twisted and fastened all so well and so strongly that no strength could break it...[Then the fox says] 'Pull, white horse, pull (147)"



 "The Nixie of the Mill Pond" watercolor, approx 11x14"

"One morning [the man] rose before daybreak and went out into the open air, thinking that perhaps there his heart might become lighter. As he was stepping over the mill-dam the first sun beam was just breaking through, and he heard a rippling sound in the pond. He turned round and perceived a beautiful woman, rising slowly out of the water. Her long hair, which was holding off her shoulders with her soft hands, fell down on both sides, covered her white body. He soon saw that she was a Nixie....and in his fright did not know whether he should run away or stay...But the NIxie made her sweet voice heard, called him by his name...(470)."




Reference: Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales. Nelson Doubeday, Inc. Garden City, New York.