SKU: p1540

A wolf in Grandma's clothing affects a frail and squeaky "The better to see you with, my dear:' as he peers over specta-cles at Little Red Riding Hood. Why, not an hour earlier, this self-same "Grandma" appeared in the woods as Little Red Riding Hood was innocently picking wildflowers. Now, with the rosy-cheeked girl so temptingly near, the wolf is about to pounce, without the faintest inkling that an heroic woodcut¬ter is about to present a very big surprise—and save Little Red Riding Hood from an untimely end.

"Little Red Riding Hood:' Plate Two in the Classic Fairy Tales collection of fine-art plates from Edwin M. Knowles, is an-other masterpiece of anecdotal art by Scott Gustafson. It was created exclu-sively for the medium of limited-edition plates from Mr. Gustafson's original painting in oils.

"The better to hear you with, my dear!"

In his highly illustrative and lighthearted treatment of the Little Red Riding Hood story, artist Scott Gustafson adroitly evokes the traditional comedy of the fa-ble, wherein animal characters illustrate human behavior. Artist Gustafson's "Lit¬tle Red Riding Hood" has the same in¬stant and universal appeal of the tale for which it was named.

Few artists have so aptly illustrated a ruse with such skill and insight. There's no mistaking the wolf's "cunning:' and the anticipatory gleam in his eyes. Never was a wolf more visibly imbued with seemingly human motivations.

And of course, the wolf's motivations are as transparent as his costume. The artist's depiction of the wolf's disguise—a ruffled cap perched between big furry ears, a big, bushy tail in plain view—enables us to dismiss any threat he may have posed to the little girl.