Red Riding Hood: Red Riding Hood Meets the Wolf c. 19th century

Editor: This is Edward Martin Taber’s drawing, "Red Riding Hood Meets the Wolf," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The delicate linework gives it a storybook feel, yet the wolf is genuinely unsettling. What do you see in terms of the composition? Curator: The stark contrast between the textures delineating Red Riding Hood and the Wolf is striking. Note the smooth, flowing lines forming the girl, juxtaposed against the jagged, almost chaotic strokes defining the wolf. Editor: So the artist uses line to differentiate innocence from danger? Curator: Precisely. The structural opposition underscores the narrative's central conflict. The linear precision, or lack thereof, serves as a visual encoding of their respective natures within the tableau. Editor: That's a great insight. I hadn't considered how the artist's technique reinforces the fairy tale's themes. Curator: Paying attention to this interplay of formal elements adds to our understanding.