Girl With The Green Ribbon

2' x 4', November 2022

India Ink on brown paper.

Portrait of the Girl With The Green Ribbon, a story most recently told in the children's book In a Dark, Dark, Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz, but a folktale that dates back to the 17th century, around the time of the french revolution. It is a story that rose in reference to guillotine beheadings and hidden political loyalties - it was even a trend for young french Merveilleuses to wear a red ribbon around their neck as both an indicator of their support for beheadings and a reference to secret political leanings. This 'dissected' portrait of the Girl With The Green Ribbon is framed from the bust to the chin, highlighting the ribbon as a focal point of her character and what she represents.