Autor: Gabriel Pacheco
Capa dura. Livro silencioso (sem texto).
Everyone knows the story of Beauty and the Beast, probably in its Disney version, in which the love of the female protagonist manages to break through the selfish and presumptuous heart of a monster, finally changing his spirit and freeing him from the spell that held him captive. This is not what you will find in this book, which recovers the original version of the story and where the text interacts with images that seem to be painted on an ancient parchment, somewhat cracked by time, on which the figures and details of the settings stand out. Written in 1757 and inspired by an earlier version of 1740, this fairy tale does not focus on the changing power of love, but rather insists on the goodness of soul and the generosity of the two main characters. Here, the Beast does not need redemption, but has simply been wronged by an evil fairy. From the very beginning, he proves to have the virtues that little by little conquer the Beauty’s heart and make her declare, the first time they meet: “I prefer you, just as you are, to those, who, under a human form, hide a treacherous, corrupt, and ungrateful heart”. Gabriel Pacheco does paint the Beast as a monster, but a sad and kind monster, who cares so much about the happiness of the woman he loves that he is willing to set her free. His massive figure contrasts with the other slender and refined characters, whose blue and golden robes, enriched with embroidery and plant motifs, stand out against a sepia-toned background, whereas the settings are outlined through a few essential but significant details and the chiaroscuro takes on a symbolic value. The rose bushes are also very important: a distant and secondary element at the beginning, they introduce a red detail that is gradually brought to the foreground, until it dominates the last image, a symbol of the love and passion that will bind the two protagonists forever.