Friday, December 01, 2006

Le Petit Chaperon Rouge



Green Tea Chocolates, watercolor, 9" x 11 1/2"
The Russian project set me off on a red-pink spin I can't kick

The Museum at F.I.T. has a show on, Color in Fashion and it's significance. Displayed was this wonderful 18th century red hooded cape. Little Red Riding Hood comes to mind, published in 17th c France by Charles Perault, when red cloaks functioned as the sign of a prostitute. Hmmm...

 Librairie Chantelivre, 13, rue de Sevres, has a window full of Le Petit Chaperon Rouge

This version is called The Little Drinker of Red Ink. Evidently Odilon was bitten by Draculivre, and can only subsist on the words on book pages. Some Fr versions of this simple tale can get quite complicated.

Red is a powerful color. It has many functions. To warn of danger, as a symbol of war (blood), and both sacred and profane love. The Russian word krasnoi means both "red" and "beautiful". From the F.I.T. brouchure.

A contemporary digitized wolf and Red Riding Hood.
Here's a more traditional looking Red Riding HoodIf you're in New York stop by FIT on 7th Ave. and 27th street to see the color exhibit!
 

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:20 AM

    Oh for a 'Red Velvet Cape' to wear for everyday...

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  2. I wonder if Little Mademoiselle Red Riding Hood of the Forest had Macarons in her basket?

    How clever of you to take photos of these books in France!!

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  3. Anonymous1:36 PM

    A wonderful post about a favorite fairy tale.
    As a young wife and mother an old lady gave me a Little Red Ridinghood doll that she had made herself as a girl back in 1910! I still have it, though the red ridinghood is now torn to pieces, so she sits there in a blue dress :-)

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  4. Anonymous2:05 PM

    Beautiful painting--I love the colors and composition in that one a lot. Good combinations! My mom made me a costume when I played Little Red Riding Hood for our kindergarten graduation, and I still remember wearing the darned thing!

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  5. Dear Carol,
    in spanish we call her"Caperucita roja".Maybe you just know it: in Rome prostitutes wore red sandals,some of them had on their soles written by hand-work lines the expression"follow me"(in Latin,of course)the way that when they were walking on sand,their steps left the message written on the ground...The tail did´t tell anything about the Chaperon Rouge shoes,did it??;D

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  6. HOW BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL! I remember seeing books of "Cinderella" from other cultures and was amazed at the different interpretations -- so this was doubly wonderful!! THANKS for such interesting information as well as gorgeous eye candy!

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  7. Your watercolors are so lovely !!!!

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  8. Anonymous1:49 AM

    Little "Red"
    Stay outta that bed!
    Just 'cause your cape is rouge
    Don't fall for the his subterfuge.
    Forget about Grannie.
    She ran off with a Pakistani.
    Shed that red hoodie
    And get away from the woodie...

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  9. Red is just the colour I need right now when it's getting grey and dark outdoors, thanks!

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  10. beautiful blog site-how talented you are!

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  11. Have you seen Picture This: How Pictures Work, by Molly Bang?

    http://www.amazon.com/Picture-This-How-Pictures-Work/dp/B00009ZKWR/sr=8-2/qid=1165219263/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-9949680-6149730?ie=UTF8&s=books

    She uses a few shapes and colours - inc. red and black - to tell the story of Red Riding Hood, and at the same time talk about how shapes and colours affect our emotions. It would seem to fit right into what you're posting about.

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  12. I SO enjoy starting my Monday morning with a stop by your always-beautiful blog!

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  13. Thanks Nancy for the heads up on the design book. I just added a link and ordered, Picture This: How Pictures Work :)

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  14. Anonymous9:36 AM

    This post of yours is very interesting...
    Have you read (or heard of or seen):
    "Revolting rhymes" by Roald Dahl ?
    "Petit chaperon vert" by Nadia?
    "Chapeau Rond Rouge" by G. de Pennart?
    Or "Le Loup est revenu" by G. de Pennart too?
    I like these books making this sort of a chain... in our culture.

    Chanel made an advert a few years ago by Christmas time, it was based on Little Red Riding Hood...
    The wolf was charmed by LRRH because of her perfume... It was all suggested and never said...
    Clever, original and very interesting. Have you seen it?

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