Les Contes de Perrault 1864

Editor: This is the cover of "Les Contes de Perrault," or "The Tales of Perrault," from 1864. It's a drawing and print located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, here in New York. It is screaming, shouting "LOOK AT ME" in terms of grandeur...with a bright red cover, gold decorations and baroque framing around the title, and family emblems. What really stands out to you about it? Curator: You know, it's interesting you mention the almost aggressive grandeur. To me, it whispers a different story. See how the gold isn't *quite* perfect? The wear and tear hints at countless hands turning pages, of families huddled together listening to these classic tales. Imagine this book being read by gaslight, a slightly worn heirloom binding us to past generations, offering timeless escape, perhaps? Does that ring true at all for you? Editor: Absolutely. The book radiates "heritage object" vibes. But then, if you remove the fact that this is old and slightly worn, and maybe make a replica, wouldn't that pompous attitude come back again? Or maybe not? Curator: You know, maybe both exist simultaneously, always wrestling. A newly printed replica MIGHT aim for pure grandeur, a perfect object. But even then, it becomes a portal, a copy intending to deliver the fairy tales as an over the top performance to be appreciated for beauty's sake. Then, perhaps one day it will too become worn like this, creating yet another tale in the process. Editor: Fascinating! So even replicas contain their own stories waiting to unfold... Curator: Exactly. Everything has an inner dialogue, just waiting for the right observer to chime in and see how things develop! It all reminds me a bit of my favorite armchair; time goes by so fast, but every thread has so many memories sewn in that just grow over time... I suppose time writes all stories eventually! Editor: What a charming way to summarize it! Thanks so much for sharing your insights.