Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!
This is my weekly feature
showcasing beautiful book covers!
It also provides information,
if available, on their very talented creators!
For more information
about Shelf Candy Saturday,
simply go HERE.
Here's my choice for this week!
The Red Necklace
Hardcover, 384 pages
Dial Books
May 1, 2008
Historical Fiction, Romance,
Young Adult Fiction
My Thoughts About This Cover
Exquisite. Delicate. Detailed. Bold. Undeniably beautiful.... These are the words of awed admiration that come to my mind as I contemplate this cover. Had I noticed this book on one of my many visits to dear ol' Barnes & Noble this past year, I would have snatched it up in the blink of an eye! Of course, the plot intrigues me, too, with its exciting combination of historical fiction and suspense. (In fact, I'm slightly reminded of The Scarlet Pimpernel, although the two novels are totally different.) However, when I buy this book, it will have this cover, and no other!
The overall composition is bold, yet it's very detailed. I love the young woman's silhouette, which is placed in relief by the subtle, dark tone edging it all the way around. I also love that her face is in three-quarter profile; this has a much more aesthetic effect.
Those curls are truly magnificent! They are so artfully done, so beautifully shaped.... They are also intricately perfect, as they wind in and out, spiraling upon themselves.
The dress is nothing short of lovely, with its soft sky-blue tone, its delicate lace bordering the high neckline, that gorgeous blue bow in the back....
The background looks like some sort of lacy, flowery wallpaper, and its muted tone perfectly accentuates this gorgeous profile.
And then we have the piece de resistance: the title, which is a flat band of red across this young woman's neck, alluding to the necklace. It contrasts beautifully with the author's name, which echoes the tone and style of the dress.
Everything about the cover lets us know that the time period of this novel is that of the French Revolution, even if that fact were not stated in the upper right-hand corner of the cover. The young woman herself is also an allusion to Marie Antoinette, after all.
The designer of this absolutely brilliant cover is Kimi Weart, president and creative director at A Printable Press, a stationery company specializing in custom design. She is also a highly talented fine artist, especially as a draftsman, with an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) from New York University, which she acquired in 2005. Previous to that, she graduated from Brown University with a BA in Visual Arts, in 1995. Her drawings, done in graphite with other materials, are exquisitely detailed, and look like photographs when seen from a distance. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions. Of course, she is a book designer, as well.
Kimi Weart Online Links
What do you think of my
choice this week?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!
Indeed the word "exquisite" describes this cover perfectly. I agree that it reminds me of the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette. As I just finished up another biography of the Marquis de Lafayette I am thinking a lot about that event lately.
ReplyDeleteThe title "the red necklace" in red background is so interesting. As you mention it of visually alludes to the necklace itself. Yet there is no necklace in the picture. For me there is something enigmatic about this. I wonder if the necklace is "missing" or out of sight for much of the plot of the book. I also wonder if there is any significance to the fact that the title of the book is in lower case.
Hey, Brian!
DeleteI'm glad you like this cover, too! It's just absolutely
stunning!
I think the choice by the artist to use the title as the 'necklace' is a brilliant one! I, too, wonder about. the significance of the lower- case letters. Maybe it's simply an aesthetic decision. If so, it's a very effective choice!
Thanks for the great comment!! : )