ly written down in the middle of the ninth century A.D. (850-60 Common Era) by Tuan Ch'eng-shih, Cinderella was a Chinese girl, with a magical fish as a helper (Heiner). The next recorded version comes from Charles Perrault in his Contes de ma Mere L'Oye in 1697, when we are introduced to a pumpkin carriage and a fairy godmother (Heiner). There have been many versions of Cinderella written since 1697, and each time the Cinderella story is found slightly differently.
             Just as Cinderella's story has changed from author to author, so has her image. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words and in Cinderella's case this is defiantly true. The illustrations of Cinderella have brought the reader deeper into her story: the horror of her situation becomes more real and the reader can more easily relate to this unfortunate girl while making her transformation from rags to riches more apparent. Some artists have sought to "evoke a sense of fantasy" in their illustrations (Clark 160). Other artists have taken different approaches. The famed artist George Cruikshank for instance brought the Cinderella story to life in 1854, creating a "rustic yet mysteriously "gothic" sensibility" (Clark 160). Whatever tone the author wishes to create for their version of the story, it is the artists who have always had the final say. Through their choice of setting, costume, posing, and the images and facial expressions of the characters, the artist can, at first glance, repulse the reader from the ugly step sisters and endear them to Cinderella in ways the author simply cannot manage.
             Consequently, the artists have changed the appearance of everything in this story to suit the current norm. Cruikshank's Cinderella in 1854, was young and slender without being unnaturally skinny. While the pictures were not drawn in colour, it is evident from shading that the girl had brown hair and the pale ...