Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman 1927

Curator: Here we have Arthur Rackham’s watercolour illustration from 1927, titled "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman." Editor: The initial impact is, frankly, unsettling. The giantess is rendered with such grotesque detail, looming over the scene, the entire scene radiates threat. Curator: Rackham masterfully evokes the medieval folklore tradition. This depiction isn’t just scary; it’s laden with layers of cultural memory associated with fairy tales and giants. Consider how the title, lifted directly from Jack and the Beanstalk, resonates deeply within the English psyche. Editor: Absolutely. This image activates so many anxieties about power, invasion, and the monstrous feminine. The giantess, in her ragged furs and adornments that seem almost tribal, isn't just a character—she’s a symbol of otherness. It's an image saturated with historical power imbalances, with postcolonial undercurrents. Look how the woman on the right seems frightened, but continues doing her chores - cooking. Her subservience speaks volumes! Curator: Notice, too, the use of symbolism. The figures in the background - probably a child looking outside for its mother, add layers of psychological tension. It reflects how fairy tales often functioned as coded warnings and psychological landscapes for understanding the human condition. Editor: The gnarled details contribute to her grotesque figure and to a specific and deliberate message, for example how gender affects ones existence, by making the "giantess" non attractive but fearsome. But it seems to be a reflection of some sort of reality for many. Rackham might be pushing us to consider the narratives we tell ourselves, and who they serve. Curator: It all boils down to what the giant symbolizes across diverse eras – brute force, unchecked authority, and primal urges. Fairy tales provide these templates of experience to young readers. It encourages the symbolic literacy in this instance! Editor: So, what seemed merely frightful now seems a potent tableau reflecting deeply unsettling ideas about identity and privilege, gender roles and social differences in this seemingly innocuous image. Curator: A superb distillation of what Rackham intended and his artistic choices! Editor: Indeed. It all boils down to perspective. What a powerful commentary to examine through Rackham’s visualization.