As my capstone project in my final year of school, I chose to address the homogeneity of Cinderella versions known across Canada. I created a children's illustrated book of Cenerentola, the first published version of Cinderella in Europe, from Renaissance Naples.
In the Fall 2022 semester, I did research surrounding the project, such as children's illustrated book conventions, a test paper dress-up doll, and the material culture of early 17th Century Italy. I especially focused on the fashion of the era. With platform shoes being all the rage and indicative of someone's social status at the time, an opportunity presented itself for Cenerentola's iconic lost slipper. The illustrations' colours were inspired by the pigments used in oil painting during the Renaissance.
All the animals representing characters in Cenerentola are species that can be found in Italy, and were chosen for their traits. The original version from Naples that my project is based in was named La Gatta Cenerentola, and so the titular character is a cat as a nod to the story.
The ermine was a symbol of purity and vanity, and its snow-white fur was favoured by nobility across Europe during the Renaissance. The iconic royal cape with a spotted fur trim is historically made from ermine.
The stepmother is a mouse to foreshadow her demise at the hands of Cenerentola; the governess is a shrew to display her cunning nature; the herald is a goose because he honks, and the magic dove that visits Cenerentola turns into an even more majestic white bird.
