Sleeping Beauty as 'Sloth' & Cinderella as 'Jealousy' in the Windows of Paris

It's not the first time fairy tale characters have been used to portray the seven deadly sins but it is somewhat unique.

Paris currently has a window dressing competition among the shopkeepers, in which every window has to portray one of the Seven Deadly Sins. (I dearly wish I had images to share but I can't find any relevant ones sorry!) With the floor completely open for interpretation, it is interesting that two fairy tales in particular are featured (and making the most impact). I wonder if it's partly to do with French heritage of fairy tales in popular culture?

From The Guardian:

The most crowded street in Paris this week has been the Faubourg St Honoré, whose shopkeepers are holding a competition in window-dressing of which the theme must be one or more of the Seven Deadly Sins. ...The biggest success is a Sleeping Beauty (accompanied by sleeping king, queen, courtiers, scullions and guards), exemplifying Sloth, that occupies the whole shop-window of a dealer in curios. ... The best window of all is perhaps that of a shoe shop showing Cinderella’s abandoned shoe on the royal staircase, and the long rows of busts that flanked the august descent, pale, as Perrault declared them to be, with Jealousy of the beauty they had just seen pass them.

Note: for a great read about Perrault and Cinderella's slipper check out Tales of Faerie's recent fascinating post HERE, on The Significance of Shoes in Perrault's Time.

The main drawing of an art nouveau Sleeping Beauty as Sloth seen above, is part of a beautiful-looking series by illustrator Chris Hill. (I love his art nouveau character posters!) I've included the rest below for your convenience, and find it interesting that Cinderella is included in his series under the label of 'lust' (which, can be related to jealousy).