Apologies for the laxity in text posts recently, it's largely due to approaching deadlines, however here's something for this week's Illustration Friday topic "craving".
It's a spread from the picture book １２の月たち (12 Tsuki-tachi, or "The Twelve months" in English), first published back in 1991 in Japan. It's a classic Slovakian fairytale of evil stepmother gets rid of kind girl Marushka whose beauty surpasses that of her own ugly daughter by sending her out into the depths of winter snow to fetch unseasonable things. First its violets, then strawberries, and finally apples. Each time the frozen girl is helped by one of 12 old men in the woods, each representing one of the 12 months. In the end the greed and craving of the old woman and her boorish daughter sends them out in search of fruit themselves, their rudeness to the old men inevitably leading to fatal consequences, and happy end (for Marushka at least).
The book, released by Miki House in Japan, has been through several reprints already, and is to be released again later this year, thus one of my biggest selling titles in Japan. Sadly, no release in the West.... yet!
wonderful illustration!
Most beautiful illustration. I was going to say I would have loved these as a child, but that's silly--I love it NOW (and I still love all the things I did as a child).
Ohhh so wonderful! I really love this. The colors, contrast and subjects are just perfect. :o)
Beautiful!!
I really LOVE this viewing point as well!!