The painting I chose was clearly related to the fairy tale
of Little Red Riding Hood. Near the
center of the painting is the back of a figure dressed completely in red, an
interesting approach since she normally has a big cloak. Facing her is a
demonizing wolf in bed, wearing a pink skirt of some sort.
Being from an Asian culture myself, I couldn’t help but feel
like the wolf’s design in this painting is very Asian. You can see whiskers on
the side of its mouth, like those of a Chinese dragon. The teeth are oddly
sharp and long too, along with the pointy ears and the hair around its neck,
resembling that of a lion’s mane. These are all qualities in classic paintings
of Chinese dragons, like the one shown below:
Another clear feature is the big painting on the wall right
behind the wolf, showing a woman looking in dissatisfaction or disappointment.
Perhaps that woman is Grandma? Mother? What if she’s actually Little Red
looking at herself, signifying a sense of impending doom for our protagonist?
Other minor details – the statue on the left resembles a
demon gargoyle of some kind, yet has the appearance of an ox. The model tree
behind that looks like a fancy-looking bonsai, which is also a Chinese plant,
like the one below.
It is great to see a different take on a familiar story.
Natalie Frank, the artist, described how “it is [these stories’ mysteries] that
make us return to them over and over again, inviting us in, drawing us closer.”
These tales allow other artists like Frank to expand on the world we love to
read about –in line with how I have written about how Alice in Wonderland evolved over time.
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