The Brother's Grimm: Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel

First published in 1812

Edition I read was published in 2009 by Wordsworth Editions Limited

Text: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Illustrations: Arthur Rackham

Cover design: Robert Mathias 

Cover illustration of the edition I read: Art Deco fashion illustration of the 1930's

Text typeset in Great Britain by Anthony Gray

Printed and bound by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc

The Year 1812

I decided that I would research events that happened in the year Hansel and Gretel was published. I picked out things that could have influenced the art of the time. 
- Charles Dickens in born.
- War of 1812,
- Russia's Patriotic War.
- Peninsular War
- First Grimm's Fairy Tails is published in Germany.
- The last of the Elgin Marbles are removed from the Parthenon in Athens.

Arthur Rackham

The original illustrations for Hansel and Gretel were created by Arthur Rackham. I think the technique he has used suits the story and I think the use of black resembles the darkness of it as well. 

Phil West

I found on the Folio website an illustrator who creates silhouette prints and he made one for Hansel and Gretel and I really like how it looks. I think it is a very different style to illustrate a story with but I think it could work quite well.

Felicitas Kuhn-Klapschy

I also found and artist called Felicitas Kuhn-Klapschy who also illustrated Hansel and Gretel and I really like their interpretation of it. I really like the colours that have been used because they are bright and pastel like and the layout of the images are very structured and neat which is really nice.

I am going to choose this book to illustrate because I think I could do a lot with it and I am very interested to see what ideas I can come up with. Especially for the characters.