French Fairy Tales
14.99 €
In stock
French Fairy Tales
14.99 €
The Countess de Ségur began composing fairy tales for her grandchildren, and she had many of them - two dozen. In 1857, these stories were published in a separate book, which came to the French public's liking. At that time, the Countess was already the sixth decade. She lived in Normandy, in the manor of Nuette, which something subtly reminded her of her native estate near Moscow Voronovo. It was there, in Russia, passed the childhood of the future writer. She was the daughter of General Fyodor Vasilyevich Rastopchin - Moscow governor, who took a very active part in the dramatic capital events of 1812. Sophia Fyodorovna's father was a zealous Slavophile and composed amusing comedies in between, not considering himself, however, a professional writer. In 1815, he left Russia in Carlsbad for treatment of failing health and then lived for some time in Paris. In 1817 his family also moved there. So Sophia Fyodorovna found herself in France, where she soon married Count Eugène de Segur. She never returned to her homeland in Russia. From under her pen after the "New Magic Tales" came out more than two and a half dozen works, the most famous of which were "Sonia's mischief" - a collection of funny stories written in French especially for children. This book de Ségur by the end of XIX century became a real bestseller in Europe. Benevolent critics sometimes called the Countess "Balzac for children".
The book is decorated with illustrations by the talented American artist Virginia Frances Sterrett. Her drawings for "Old French Tales" for the American publishing house "Penn Publishing" became the first order, which Virginia received in 1920 after studying at the Art Institute of Chicago. Sterrett was a fan of the Art Deco style and tried to follow it in her work. In the drawings done for Segur's tales, this is immediately apparent. Sterrett spent her childhood in Chicago. At the beginning of XX century this city did not please the inhabitants with its beauty, and Virginia's drawings reminded some dreams about other, marvelous and alluring worlds, the images of which appeared in the artist's head. Sterrett was in poor health, and in her short but colorful life she managed to design only a few publications. Her last work was illustrations for the fairy tales of One Thousand and One Nights. She finished them in 1928. Critics wrote that Sterrett's drawings are distinguished by a "delicate, fantastic beauty, depicting which she must have escaped from the harsh realities of life".
The book is decorated with illustrations by the talented American artist Virginia Frances Sterrett. Her drawings for "Old French Tales" for the American publishing house "Penn Publishing" became the first order, which Virginia received in 1920 after studying at the Art Institute of Chicago. Sterrett was a fan of the Art Deco style and tried to follow it in her work. In the drawings done for Segur's tales, this is immediately apparent. Sterrett spent her childhood in Chicago. At the beginning of XX century this city did not please the inhabitants with its beauty, and Virginia's drawings reminded some dreams about other, marvelous and alluring worlds, the images of which appeared in the artist's head. Sterrett was in poor health, and in her short but colorful life she managed to design only a few publications. Her last work was illustrations for the fairy tales of One Thousand and One Nights. She finished them in 1928. Critics wrote that Sterrett's drawings are distinguished by a "delicate, fantastic beauty, depicting which she must have escaped from the harsh realities of life".
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books by the author
- All books in the series Library of World Literature