Art: Conformed Fairy Tales

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  Walt Disney, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937
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  Tiziano Vecellio, Morte di Atteone, 1562

Who would have thought to put Snow White, freshly recovered from her harrowing run through the woods and peering out to discover the dwarfs cottage, next to Diana in huntress mode (from Titian's "The Death of Actaeon")? What are your thoughts about this character when you discover Snow White's legs have become those of the goddess, as she is discovering the tragic end of a hunt? When you realize Diana's legs are stepping into a scene of what remains of a man-transformed-to-deer, did the inclusion of the one hiding behind the tree (on Snow's left) suddenly take on a darker tone?

The ideas both conflict and reflect on each other, with your brain encouraging you to try to find a link, since your eye sees the limbs lining up so well. Though Snow White as a hunter isn't quite as foreign an idea as it used to be (thanks to ABC's Once Upon A Time TV series), thinking about Diana and Snow White conforming to each other, creates a new way to look at the fairy tale of Snow White in particular. 

Such an image, once you realize what is happening and the sources of the two halves, is incredibly thought-provoking... (Are we at 1000 words yet?)

There is an Italian Tumblr blog that exclusively posts these split-yet-matched images, of which the Snow White/Diana one at the head of the post is one. Two unlikely pieces of art (often a traditional, or classic work and a modern or pop-cultural piece) are juxtaposed, with the main "flow of action" lining up to create a trick for the eye. 

It's titled "Confórmi [the forms do not belong to anyone]" and specifically adds text to remind us of this definition: "Conform": be similar in form or type; agree.

It's a genius meditation on familiar images. 


Although most fairy tale images used are from Disney movies, the idea of a particular fairy tale versus - or conforming to - a classical painting (or modern installation art), truly makes the viewer look at both pieces of art in a completely new way. 

And, of course, it makes us think of those fairy tales in new ways too...

We could probably muse on any one of these juxtapositions for a while but instead, we'll leave you with the images and whatever thoughts they generate for you, though we'd love you to share any flashes of inspiration and questions they may prompt in the comments!

The two pieces of art used are noted below each picture (in the original Italian text from the Tumblr) so you can identify each of them, in case your curiosity wishes you to wander a little further.

Enjoy your fairy tale art meditation today!

Giotto, Compianto sul Cristo Morto, Cappella degli Scrovegni, Padova, 1303-1035

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Walt Disney, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937

Sandro Botticelli, Annunciazione di Cestello, 1498-1499
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Walt Disney, Cinderella, 1950 

Walt Disney, Sleeping Beauty, 1959
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Giotto, Dormitio Virginis, 1312-1314

Giotto, Sermon to the Birds, Legend of St Francis, Basilica Papale di San Francesco, Italy, 1295-1299
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Walt Disney, Sleeping Beauty, 1959

Wolfgang Reitherman, The Sword in the Stone, 1963
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Eero Saarinen and Harry Bertoia, MIT Chapel, Cambridge | Massachusetts, USA, 1955

Gustave Doré, L’Enfer de Dante Alighieri, 1857
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Benjamin Lacombe, Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, SOLEIL, 2003

Pirro Ligorio, Orco | Parco dei Mostri, Bomarzo, Italy, 1547
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Spreepark, Berlin, Germany, 1969 - 2001

This is the blog, though we warn you, you may wish to set aside a little time before going exploring. There's a lot to see and be delighted, or surprised, or bothered by): 

• confórmi [the forms do not belong to anyone]
 
• www.davidetrabucco.it

https://conformi.tumblr.com/