Drawing of the Little Mermaid from the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Mermaid paintings - different illustrations for the fairy tale little mermaid
artist Vladimir Nenov
Publishing house "Rosmen" 2012
With the publication of excerpts from the fairy tale
Far away in the sea, the water is blue-blue, like the petals of the most beautiful cornflowers, and transparent, transparent, like the purest glass, only very deep, so deep that no anchor rope is enough. Many bell towers must be placed one on top of the other, then only the top will look out on the surface. Underwater people live there at the bottom.
Just do not think that the bottom is bare, only white sand. No, unprecedented trees and flowers grow there with such flexible stems and leaves that they move, as if alive, from the slightest movement of water. And between the branches fish scurry about, big and small, just like the birds in the air above us. In the deepest place stands the palace of the sea king - its walls are made of coral, high lancet windows are made of the purest amber, and the roof is all shells; they now open and close, depending on whether the tide is in or out, and this is very beautiful, because each one contains shining pearls and any would be a great decoration in the crown of the queen herself.
There was a large garden in front of the palace, in it fiery red and dark blue trees grew, their fruits sparkled with gold, their flowers with hot fire, and the stems and leaves swayed incessantly. The ground was all fine sand, only bluish, like a sulfuric flame. Everything down there gave off some special blue, - it was just right to think that you were standing not at the bottom of the sea, but in the air above, and the sky was not only above your head, but also under your feet, In the calmness from the bottom you could see the sun, it seemed like a purple flower, from the bowl of which light poured.
Each princess had her own place in the garden, where they could dig and plant anything. One arranged for herself a flower bed in the form of a whale, the other decided that her bed looked like a mermaid, and the youngest made herself a bed round like the sun, and planted flowers on it as scarlet as herself. This little mermaid was a strange child, quiet, thoughtful. The other sisters adorned themselves with all sorts of things they found on sunken ships, and she only loved that the flowers were bright red, like the sun up there, and even a beautiful marble statue. It was a beautiful boy, carved from a pure white stone and descended to the bottom of the sea after a shipwreck. Near the statue, the little mermaid planted a pink weeping willow, it grew magnificently and hung its branches over the statue to the blue sandy bottom, where a purple shadow was obtained, vibrating in harmony with the swaying of the branches, and from this it seemed as if the top and roots were fawning over each other.
At this point, the little mermaid realized what danger threatened people - she herself had to dodge the logs and debris that were rushing along the waves. For a moment it became dark, even if you gouged out your eye, but then lightning flashed, and the little mermaid again saw the people on the ship. Everyone was saved as best they could. She looked for the prince with her eyes and saw him fall into the water as the ship broke apart. At first she was very happy - because now he will fall to the bottom of her, but then she remembered that people cannot live in water and he will sail to her father's palace only dead. No, no, he must not die! And she swam between the logs and boards, not at all thinking that they could crush her. She then dived deep, then took off on a wave, and finally swam to the young prince. He was almost completely exhausted and could not swim in the stormy sea. His arms and legs refused to serve him, his beautiful eyes closed, and he would have drowned if the little mermaid had not come to his aid. She lifted his head above the water and let the waves carry them both anywhere ...
By morning the storm had subsided. There wasn't even a sliver left of the ship. Again the sun flashed over the water and seemed to return the colors to the prince's cheeks, but his eyes were still closed.
The little mermaid pushed her hair back from the prince's forehead, kissed him on his high, beautiful forehead, and it seemed to her that he looked like a marble boy who was standing in her garden. She kissed him again and wished that he would live.
At last she saw land, high blue mountains, on the tops of which, like flocks of swans, snow was white. Wonderful forests were green near the shore, and in front of them stood either a church or a monastery - she could not say for sure, she only knew that it was a building. Orange and lemon trees grew in the garden, and tall palm trees near the gate. The sea jutted into the shore here in a small bay, quiet but very deep, with a cliff, near which the sea washed fine white sand. It was here that the little mermaid sailed with the prince and laid him on the sand so that his head was higher in the sun.
Just then, bells rang in the tall white building, and a whole crowd of young girls poured into the garden. The little mermaid swam away behind high stones sticking out of the water, covered her hair and chest with sea foam, so that now no one would distinguish her face, and began to wait for someone to come to the aid of the poor prince.
Soon a young girl came up to the cliff and at first she was very frightened, but then she gathered her courage and called other people, and the little mermaid saw that the prince came to life and smiled at everyone who was near him. And he did not smile at her, he did not even know that she had saved his life. The little mermaid became sad, and when the prince was taken to a large building, she sadly dived into the water and swam away home.
Now she was even quieter, even more thoughtful than before. The sisters asked her what she saw for the first time on the surface of the sea, but she did not tell them anything.
Often in the mornings and evenings she sailed to the place where she left the prince.
Now the little mermaid knew where the prince lived, and began to sail to the palace almost every evening or every night. None of the sisters dared to swim so close to the land, but she even swam into a narrow channel that ran just under a marble balcony that cast a long shadow over the water. Here she stopped and looked at the young prince for a long time, and he thought that he was walking alone in the light of the moon.
Many times she saw how he rode with the musicians on his smart boat, decorated with waving flags. The little mermaid looked out from the green reeds, and if people sometimes noticed how her long silver-white veil was rinsing in the wind, it seemed to them that it was a swan flapping its wings.
Many times she heard how the fishermen who fished at night with a torch spoke of the prince, they told a lot of good things about him, and the little mermaid was glad that she had saved his life when he, half dead, was carried along the waves; she remembered how his head rested on her chest and how tenderly she kissed him then. But he didn’t know anything about her, he couldn’t even dream of her!
More and more the little mermaid began to love people, more and more she was drawn to them; their earthly world seemed to her much larger than her underwater; after all, they could cross the sea in their ships, climb high mountains above the clouds, and their countries with forests and fields spread so wide that you couldn’t even see it! The little mermaid really wanted to know more about people, about their lives, but the sisters could not answer all her questions, and she turned to her grandmother: the old woman knew the “high society”, as she rightly called the land that lay above the sea.
If people don't drown, the little mermaid asked, then they live forever, don't they die like us?
Well, what are you! - answered the old woman. “They are dying too, their age is even shorter than ours. We live three hundred years; only when we cease to be, they don't bury us, we don't even have graves, we just turn into sea foam.
I would give all my hundreds of years for one day of human life, said the little mermaid.
Nonsense! Nothing to think about it! said the old woman. - We live here much better than people on earth!
This means that I will die, I will become sea foam, I will no longer hear the music of the waves, I will not see either wonderful flowers or the red sun! Can't I live among people?
You can, - said the grandmother, - let only one of the people love you so that you become dearer to him than his father and mother, let him give himself to you with all his heart and all thoughts, make you his wife and swear eternal fidelity. But this will never happen! After all, what we consider beautiful - your fish tail, for example - people find ugly. They know nothing about beauty; in their opinion, to be beautiful, one must necessarily have two clumsy props, or legs, as they call them.
The little mermaid took a deep breath and looked sadly at her fish tail.
We will live - do not grieve! said the old woman. - Let's have fun to our heart's content, three hundred years is a long time ...
And you have to pay me for my help, - said the witch. - And I'll take it cheap! You have a wonderful voice, with which you are thinking of bewitching the prince, but you must give this voice to me. I will take for my priceless drink the best that you have: for I must mix my own blood into the drink so that it becomes sharp as the blade of a sword.
Your lovely face, your smooth gait and your talking eyes - this is enough to win the human heart! Come on, don't be afraid: stick out your tongue and I'll cut it off in payment for the magic drink!
Fine! - said the little mermaid, and the witch put a cauldron on the fire to make a drink.
Cleanliness is the best beauty! - she said and wiped the cauldron with a bunch of live snakes.
Then she scratched her chest; black blood dripped into the cauldron, and soon clouds of steam began to rise, taking on such bizarre shapes that they simply took fear. The witch continually added new and new potions to the cauldron, and; when the drink boiled, it gurgled like a crocodile was crying. Finally the drink was ready, it looked like the clearest spring water.
Take it! - said the witch, giving the little mermaid a drink.
Then she cut off her tongue, and the little mermaid became dumb - she could no longer sing or speak.
Before her stood a handsome prince and looked at her with surprise. She looked down and saw that the fish tail had disappeared, and instead of it she had two small white legs. But she was completely naked and therefore wrapped herself in her long, thick hair. The prince asked who she was and how she got here, but she only meekly and sadly looked at him with her dark blue eyes: she could not speak. Then he took her by the hand and led her into the palace. The witch told the truth: every step caused the little mermaid such pain, as if she were stepping on sharp knives and needles; but she patiently endured the pain and walked hand in hand with the prince easily, as if on air. The prince and his retinue only marveled at her wonderful, smooth gait.
The little mermaid was dressed in silk and muslin, and she became the first beauty at court, but she remained dumb, she could neither sing nor speak. Once, slave girls dressed in silk and gold were called to the prince and his royal parents. They began to sing, one of them sang especially well, and the prince clapped his hands and smiled at her. The little mermaid felt sad: once upon a time she could sing, and incomparably better! “Ah, if he knew that I forever parted with my voice, just to be near him!”
Then the girls began to dance to the sounds of the most wonderful music; here the little mermaid raised her white beautiful hands, stood on tiptoe and rushed off in a light, airy dance; no one has ever danced like this! Every movement emphasized her beauty, and her eyes spoke to her heart more than the singing of slaves.
Everyone was in awe, especially the prince; he called the little mermaid his little foundling, and the little mermaid danced and danced, though every time her feet touched the ground she was in such pain as if she were stepping on sharp knives. The prince said that "she should always be near him, and she was allowed to sleep on a velvet pillow in front of the doors of his room.
One night her sisters came up out of the water hand in hand and sang a sad song; she nodded to them, they recognized her and told her how she had upset them all. Since then, they visited her every night, and once she even saw her old grandmother in the distance, who had not risen from the water for many years, and the king of the sea with a crown on her head, they stretched out their hands to her, but did not dare to swim to the ground as close as sisters.
===========================
We gave our hair to a witch to help us save you from death! And she gave us this knife - see how sharp it is? Before the sun rises, you must plunge it into the heart of the prince, and when his warm blood splashes on your feet, they will grow back into a fish tail and you will again become a mermaid, come down to us in the sea and live your three hundred years before you turn into salty sea foam. But hurry! Either he or you - one of you must die before sunrise. Kill the prince and return to us! Hurry up. Do you see a red streak in the sky? Soon the sun will rise and you will die!
Day by day, the prince became more and more attached to the little mermaid, but he loved her only as a sweet, kind child, it never occurred to him to make her his wife and princess, but meanwhile she had to become his wife, otherwise, if if he gave his heart and hand to another, it would become the foam of the sea.
“Do you love me more than anyone in the world?” the little mermaid's eyes seemed to ask as the prince embraced her and kissed her on the forehead.
Yes I love you! the prince said. - You have a good heart, you are devoted to me more than anyone else and you look like a young girl whom I saw once and, surely, I will not see again! I sailed on a ship, the ship sank, the waves threw me ashore near some temple where young girls serve the god; the youngest of them found me on the shore and saved my life; I've only seen her twice, but she's the only one in the whole world that I could love! You look like her and almost ousted her image from my heart. It belongs to the holy temple, and now my lucky star has sent you to me; I will never part with you!
"Alas! He doesn't know that I saved his life! - thought the little mermaid. - I carried him out of the waves of the sea to the shore and laid him in a grove near the temple, and I myself hid in the sea foam and looked to see if anyone would come to his aid. I saw this beautiful girl whom he loves more than me! - And the little mermaid sighed deeply, she could not cry. “But that girl belongs to the temple, will never return to the world, and they will never meet!” I am near him, I see him every day, I can take care of him, love him, give my life for him!”
For the last time she looked at the prince with a half-faded look, rushed from the ship into the sea and felt her body melt into foam.
The sun rose over the sea; its rays lovingly warmed the deadly cold sea foam, and the little mermaid did not feel death; she saw a clear sun and some transparent, wondrous creatures hovering over her in hundreds. She saw through them the white sails of the ship and the pink clouds in the sky; their voice sounded like music, but so sublime that the human ear would not have heard it, just as human eyes could not see them. They did not have wings, but they floated in the air, light and transparent. The little mermaid noticed that she became the same, tearing herself away from the sea foam.
Who am I going to? she asked, rising in the air, and her voice sounded with the same wondrous music.
To the daughters of the air! - the air creatures answered her. - We fly everywhere and try to bring joy to everyone. In hot countries, where people die from sultry, plague-ridden air, we inspire coolness. We spread the fragrance of flowers in the air and bring healing and joy to people ... We fly with us to the transcendental world! There you will find love and happiness that you have not found on earth.
And the little mermaid stretched out her transparent hands to the sun and for the first time felt tears in her eyes.
During this time, everything on the ship began to move again, and the little mermaid saw how the prince and his young wife were looking for her. They looked sadly at the surging sea foam, they knew for sure that the little mermaid had thrown herself into the waves. Invisible, the little mermaid kissed the beauty on the forehead, smiled at the prince and ascended, along with other children of the air, to the pink clouds floating in the sky.
This little mermaid was a strange child: so quiet, thoughtful ... Other sisters decorated their garden with various varieties that they got from sunken ships, but she loved only her flowers, bright as the sun, and a beautiful white marble boy who fell to the bottom of the sea from some lost ship. The Little Mermaid planted a red weeping willow near the statue, which grew luxuriantly; its branches wrapped around the statue and leaned towards the blue sand, where their violet shadow wavered - the top and the roots seemed to play and kiss each other!
M. Tarrant (3):
C. Santore (15):
And so the princess kept remembering these wonderful forests, green hills and lovely children who can swim, even though they don’t have a fish tail!
M. Tarrant (3):
A. Rackham (9):
C. Santore (15):
E. Anderson (11):
I had to dive into the very depths, then fly up along with the waves; but at last she overtook the prince, who was already almost completely exhausted and could no longer sail on a stormy sea; his arms and legs refused to serve him, and his lovely eyes were closed; he would have died if the little mermaid had not come to his aid. She lifted his head above the water and let the waves carry them both wherever they wanted.
M. Tarrant (3):
G. Spirin (17):
The sea cut into the white sandy shore in a small bay; there the water was very still, but deep; here, to the cliff, near which the sea washed up fine white sand, and the little mermaid swam and laid the prince, taking care that his head lay higher and in the sun itself.
A.U. Bayes (2):
Her only consolation was to sit in her garden with her arms wrapped around a beautiful marble statue that looked like a prince, but she no longer looked after the flowers; they grew as they pleased, along the paths and on the paths, intertwined their stems and leaves with the branches of the tree, and it became completely dark in the garden.
W. Pedersen (1):
Now the little mermaid knew where the prince lived, and began to sail to the palace almost every evening or every night. None of the sisters dared to swim as close to land as she did; she also swam into a narrow channel, which passed just under a magnificent marble balcony, which cast a long shadow over the water. Here she stopped and looked at the young prince for a long time, and he thought that he was walking alone in the light of the moon.
M. Tarrant (3):
E. Kincaid (14):
W. Pedersen (1):
The path to the witch's dwelling lay through bubbling silt; this place the witch called her peat bog. And there it was already within easy reach of her dwelling, surrounded by a strange forest: instead of trees and bushes, polyps grew in it, half animals, half plants, similar to hundred-headed snakes growing directly from the sand; their branches were like long slimy hands with fingers wriggling like worms; the polyps did not stop moving all their joints for a minute, from the root to the very top, they grabbed with flexible fingers everything that came across to them, and they never let go. The little mermaid paused in fright, her heart began to beat with fear, she was ready to return, but she remembered the prince, her immortal soul, and gathered her courage: she tied her long hair tightly around her head so that the polyps would not cling to it, crossed her arms over her chest, and, like a fish, she swam between the repulsive polyps, which stretched their writhing arms towards her.
M. Tarrant (3):
E. Dulac (4):
E. Anderson (11):
S. Wolfing (16):
M. Tarrant (3):
C. Santore (15):
G. Clark (7):
C. Santore (15):
The little mermaid remembered how she first rose to the surface of the sea and saw the same fun on the ship. And so she rushed in a quick aerial dance, like a swallow pursued by a kite. Everyone was delighted: she had never danced so wonderfully!
Long after midnight, dancing and music continued on the ship, and the little mermaid laughed and danced with deathly anguish in her heart; the prince kissed his beautiful wife, and she played with his black curls; at last they retired hand in hand to their splendid tent.
S. Wolfing (16):
C. Santore (15):
S. Wolfing (16):
E. Dulac (4):
The sun rose over the sea; its rays lovingly warmed the deadly cold sea foam, and the little mermaid did not feel death: she saw the clear sun and some transparent, wonderful creatures hovering over her in hundreds.
H. Appleton (8):
- To whom am I going? she asked, rising into the air, and her voice sounded with the same marvelous music that no earthly sounds can convey.
- To the daughters of the air! - the air creatures answered her.
V. Pederesen (1):
G. Spirin (17):
2. A. W. Bayes, XIX century, England. From the 1889 edition: Andersen, Hans Christian. Stories for the Household. H.W. Dulcken, translator. A. W. Bayes, illustrator. London: George Routledge & Sons, 1889. 3. Margaret Winifred Tarrant, 1888-1959, England Based on the 1910 edition: Andersen, Hans Christian. Fairy Stories by Hans Christian Andersen. Margaret Tarrant, illustrator. London: Ward, Lock & Co., 1910. 4. Edmond Dulac, 1882-1953, France-England, 1911 edition: Andersen, Hans Christian. The Snow Queen and Other Stories from Hans Andersen. Edmund Dulac, illustrator. London: Hodder & Stoughton 1911. 5. Maxwell Ashby Armfield, 1881-1972, England, 1913 edition: 6. W. Heath Robinson, 1872-1944, England, 1913 edition: Andersen, Hans Christian. Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales. W. Heath Robinson, illustrator. London: Constable & Co., 1913. 7. Harry Clark, Ireland, 1889-1931, 1916 edition: Andersen, Hans Christian. Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Harry Clarke, illustrator. New York: Brentano's, 1916. 8. Honor Charlotte Appleton, England, 1879-1951, 1922 edition: Andersen, Hans Christian. Fairy Tales. Honor Appleton, illustrator. London: 1922. 9. Arthur Rackham, 1867-1939, England, 1932 edition: Andersen, Hans Christian. Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen. Arthur Rackham, illustrator. London: George G. Harrap, 1932. 10. Jenny Harbour, England, 1932 edition: Andersen, Hans Christian. Hans Andersen's Stories. Jennie Harbour, illustrator. 1932. 11. Anne Anderson, England, 1934 edition: Anderson, Anne, illustrator. The Golden Wonder Book for Children. John R. Crossland and J.M. Parrish, editors. London: Odham's Press Ltd., 1934. 12. Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin, 1876-1942, Russia, according to the French edition of 1937: ANDERSEN. LA PETITE SIRENE. Enlumine par I. Bilibine). Albums du Pere Castor. Paris. 1937. 13. Lisbeth Zwerger, b. 1954, Austria, Edited by: Hans Christian Andersen, Contes: La Petite Sirène, Poucette ("Fairy Tales: The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina") Casterman, 1991. 14. Eric Kincaid, England, 1992 edition: The Little Mermaid, illustrated by Eric Kincaid, adapted by Lucy Kincaid; Brimax Books Ltd. 1992: 15. Charles Santore, b. 1935, USA, 1993 edition: Andersen. The Little Mermaid, Illustrated by Charles Santore; Outlet Book Company, Inc., 1993. 16. Shulamith Wulfing, 1901-1976, Germany, according to Andersen. The Little Mermaid, Illustrated by Sulamith Wulfing, Amber Lotus, 1996 17. Boris Diodorov, Russia-USA, according to the publication: Andersen G.Kh. The Little Mermaid: a fairy tale / G.H. Andersen; Artistic B. Diodorov// Children's novel-newspaper.-2005.-№7.-S.3-14. 18. Gennady Spirin, Russia-USA, published by: Little Mermaids and Ugly Ducklings: Favorite Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Illustrated by Gennady Spirin. Chronicle Books, 2001. |
"The Little Mermaid" by Andersen is a sad but bright tale of unrequited love, sacrifice in the name of it and true fidelity.
Watercolor illustrations by the Moscow artist Natalya Leonova, a graduate of the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after M. V. I. Surikov, book illustration workshop.
"All six princesses were pretty little mermaids, but the youngest was the best, tender and transparent, like a rose petal, with deep blue eyes like the sea."
“No one was so drawn to the surface of the sea as the youngest, quietest, pensive little mermaid, who had to wait the longest. How many nights she spent at the open window, peering into the blue of the sea, where whole flocks of fish moved their fins and tails!"
“Cleanliness is the best beauty!” she said and wiped the cauldron with a bunch of live snakes. Then she scratched her chest; black blood dripped into the cauldron, and soon clouds of steam began to rise, taking on such bizarre forms that it simply took fear. a cauldron of more and more potions, and when the drink boiled, it gurgled as if a crocodile was crying. At last the drink was ready, it looked like the most transparent spring water!
"Everyone was in admiration, especially the prince, he called the little mermaid his little foundling, and the little mermaid danced and danced, although every time her feet touched the ground, she was in so much pain, as if she stepped on sharp knives."
"On a clear moonlit night, when everyone except the helmsman was asleep, she sat down at the very side and began to look into the transparent waves; and it seemed to her that she was seeing her father's palace; the old grandmother in a silver crown stood on a tower and looked through the surging jets of water Then her sisters surfaced on the surface of the sea, they looked at her sadly and wringed their white hands, and she nodded her head at them, smiled and wanted to tell how good it was for her here, but then the ship's cabin boy came up to her, and the sisters dived into the water, but the cabin boy thought that it was white sea foam that flashed in the waves.
“The little mermaid looked at her eagerly and could not help but admit that she had never seen a sweeter and more beautiful face. The skin on the princess’s face was so tender, transparent, and blue meek eyes smiled because of long dark eyelashes.”
Fairy tale Hans Christian Andersen The Little Mermaid is one of the most romantic and tragic fairy tales. Which of the girls did not worry about the fate of the young beauty of the seas and oceans, in search of their happiness and their love. The tale itself was written back in 1837, but the relevance and mysterious interest in it has not subsided until today. It has been repeatedly filmed, both in film format and in animated format. Interest in the fairy tale stems, perhaps, from the initial oppositions with which the fairy tale itself is filled. Man is opposed to a mythical, fictional being. Moreover, the reader's idea, based on millennial legends, of a mermaid as a creature that promises trouble, is opposed to the gentle, kind, lively, full of love image of a girl that the author displays.
Illustrating the fairy tale "The Little Mermaid", starting, almost from the very first editions, artists have always depicted her in the form of a young beautiful girl who immediately wins over young readers.
The Little Mermaid Eleanor Boyel, 1872
One of the first illustrated British Little Mermaids that English readers saw was The Little Mermaid of 1872, drawn by an English woman, an illustrator and writer of the Victorian era - Eleanor Vere Gordon Boyle. Boel's drawings are closer in style to classical, one might even say, magical realism. Realistic colors, clean bright faces, a little childish execution of the work itself, connected either with the skill of the artist, or with the realization that this is still an illustration of a children's book.
The Little Mermaid Helenn Stratton, 1896
The next Little Mermaid also belongs to the English artist, illustrator - Helen Isobel Mansfield Ramsey Stratton, 1896 edition. The Little Mermaid Stratton is close to Alice Tenniel in terms of graphics and manner of execution. This is a classic graphic engraving, with fine details and emphasis on important narrative moments.
The Little Mermaid by Edmund Dulac, 1911
The Little Mermaid by French illustrator Edmund Dulac, 1911 edition. The Little Mermaid Dulac is executed in the tradition of the early 20th century, in the Art Deco style. And this is, first of all, the color diversity and saturation of the elements, the image of the Little Mermaid herself is stylistically intertwined with the images of Alfred Mucha and Gustav Klimt. But at the same time, she remains the embodiment of youth and purity.
The Little Mermaid by Wanda Zeigner-Ebel, 1923
The Little Mermaid, 1923, by German illustrator Wanda Zeigner-Ebel. In her works, Wanda uses a very interesting contrasting combination of colors, placing accents with color. Wanda's Little Mermaid may not look as sophisticated as in the works of other authors, she is captured in a moment of surprise and confusion, which makes her image a little childishly aggressive.
The Little Mermaid Takeo Takei, 1928
The Little Mermaid, 1928, by Japanese illustrator Takeo Takei. Takeo Chiakei is one of the most influential children's illustrators in Japan, the first to create highly professional illustrations specifically for children's books, believing that a child should be brought up in quality work. The works of Takoe are made in the style of engraving, in a more rigid, angular design.
The Little Mermaid by Joyce Mercer, 1935
Another graphic Little Mermaid, 1935, performed by the English artist illustrator Joyce Mercer. Joyce's work was praised by critics from the start as original, original work, wonderful color drawings and black and white drawings filled with subtle humour. The lines of Joyce the Little Mermaid are extremely elegant and calligraphic. Especially if we talk about vignettes, with their sense of balance, consistency of character and concentration of lines of work.
The Little Mermaid Elena Gurtik, 1950
The Little Mermaid, 1950, by Helene Guertik, a Russian illustrator who worked in France. The artist uses a very interesting effect of superposition of contrasts, using only two colors. The face of the Little Mermaid herself is not visible, but the silhouette, her position and presentation fill her with a special refined meaning.
Mermaid Valery Alfeevsky, 1955
The Little Mermaid, familiar to us since childhood, performed by the Soviet illustrator Valery Alfeevsky, 1955. This is another graphic Mermaid, however, in the works of Alfeevsky she looks a little childish. The works themselves are easy to read, a little angular and grotesque.
The Little Mermaid Jiri Trnka, 1966
The Little Mermaid of 1966, performed by Jiří Trnka, a Czech illustrator. Perhaps this Little Mermaid will seem familiar to you, because Trnka himself is one of the first Czech animators and the imagery of his illustrations naturally left its mark on his cartoon characters. Jiri himself began as an artist and sculptor, which gives his children's illustrations a touch of an adult approach.
The Little Mermaid Rachel Isadora, 1998
Sensual Little Mermaid 1998, American artist illustrator Rachel Isadora (Rachel Isadora). Isadora's little mermaid is sensual, tender, exquisitely young, in some illustrations she looks like a childishly naive and cute. The reader is immediately imbued with sympathy and participation.
The Little Mermaid by Boris Diodorov, 1998
Another little mermaid from 1998, performed by Russian artist Boris Diodorov. This is a rather complex, multi-layered illustration, with a large number of elements and patterns. The Little Mermaid Diodorova is inherently decorative.
The Little Mermaid Niki Goltz, 2003
The Little Mermaid of the early 21st century, 2003 edition, by Russian artist and illustrator Nika Goltz. Brought up in the family of an architect, theater artist and graphic artist Georgy Golts, Nika absorbed a sense of color, light and composition from a young age. Little Mermaid Golts looks even more young and naive. The illustrator constantly puts a light accent on the main character, which creates the effect of an inner constant glow in the Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid by Christian Birmingham, 2009
The Little Mermaid 2009, performed by the popular contemporary British illustrator Christian Birmingham. After graduating from the College of Art in 1991, Christian immediately signed a contract for the design of children's books. Mermaid Christiana - made in the classical canonical traditions of realism, she is aristocratically refined and gentle.
The Little Mermaid by Gabriel Pacheco, 2009
The Grim Little Mermaid by contemporary Mexican illustrator Gabriel Pacheco, 2009 Pacheco's first illustrated book was his sister's literary work. Today, he is a fairly sought-after book illustrator. The artist himself calls Bosch and Marc Chagall his main inspirations and teachers in painting. The main color of all Pacheco's works, not excluding the Little Mermaid, is the whole palette of gray, which contrasts or blends with other colors. Pacheco is unique in its ability to combine precise, sharp lines with soft, faded backgrounds. These are surreal illustrations based on symbolism.
The Little Mermaid by Arthur Rackham, 2011
The Little Mermaid 2011, performed by English illustrator Arthur Rackham. To illustrate his Little Mermaid, Arthur chose several stylistic devices at once. These are graphics, in their usual execution, and graphics, stylistically reminiscent of the theater of shadows, or the familiar to us, the principle of "vytynanok", and watercolor, but all illustrations are subject to a single stylistic direction - modern.
The Little Mermaid by Anton Lomaev, 2012
Well-known to the Russian reader is The Little Mermaid of 2012, performed by a young St. Petersburg illustrator Anton Lomaev. This is a bright illustration, worked out to the smallest detail, with a large number of patterns and decorative elements. The image of the Little Mermaid herself is displayed as the image of a young sea beauty, cheerful and bright
The Little Mermaid by Vladimir Nenov, 2012
We conclude our underwater excursion with another Mermaid from 2012, made by Russian illustrator Vladimir Nenov. Nenov started out as a studio portrait painter, which makes his characters quite expressive, and long work and collaboration with an American publishing house brought elements of puppetry into the image of the Little Mermaid herself. Mermaid Nenova looks like a typical Barbie doll, a beautiful blonde, with regular features.
All Mermaids are characterized by the growth of the image. At the beginning of the story, she is an innocent, young, childishly naive girl who looks at the world with open, longing and looking for love eyes. She is the very embodiment of purity and it seems to her that everyone around her relates to the world and to her, as she herself does. At the end of the story, this is a girl who consciously goes to her death for the sake of a loved one. She understood her own truth and her image is transformed into an image, so to speak, of a sage, an image of sacrifice and self-denial.
Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin is an outstanding Russian artist, a master of book graphics and theatrical and decorative art. Particularly popular were his illustrations for Russian folk tales and epics, for the tales of A.S. Pushkin, recreating the colorful world of Russian antiquity and folklore. Using the decorative techniques of ancient Russian and folk art of embroidery, popular prints, and icons, the artist created his own "Bilibino" graphic style.
In 1925 the artist came from Egypt to France, where he continued to develop his style, which became known abroad as "Russ Style". In France, Bilibin begins to cooperate with the Flammarion publishing house, which has published several books with his illustrations. In particular, in the series "Albums du Pere Castor" Albums of Papa Beaver, three fairy tales were published: "Flying Carpet", "The Little Mermaid" and "The Tale of the Goldfish" by A.S. Pushkin.
Work for Flammarion became a new stage of creativity for Bilibin. In each of the three books, he begins to skillfully combine both color and black and white drawings. The third book with his illustrations in the "Papa Beaver" series was "The Little Mermaid"; She came out in 1937.
It is these illustrations with maximum accuracy that are included in the edition of the fairy tale about the Little Mermaid. These works are perceived as an example of a belated roll call with Art Nouveau graphics. Looking at them, readers can fully feel the soft swaying of the Mermaid's hair in the water and appreciate the masterful depiction of the inhabitants of the sea: octopuses, starfish and sea anemones. "Land" black-and-white illustrations are designed in a more strict manner. They no longer have decorative twists and soft flowing lines. 
