Louis Moe – Little Red Riding Hood

Louis Moe (1857–1945), Little Red Riding Hood, 1905, ink, pencil, and watercolor on paper, H. 31.5 cm; W. 41 cm.

Danish-Norwegian illustrator and engraver, Louis Moe established himself at the turn of the 20th century as a master of Nordic imagery, blending animal worlds, mythological tales, and folk stories.

In this interpretation of the famous tale Little Red Riding Hood, Moe brings to life a scene of silent tension, captured deep within the forest. The wolf, anthropomorphic in expression and posture, gazes at the child with a look mingling appetite and deceit. The girl’s frozen stance, clutching her basket and umbrella, heightens the ambiguity of the moment: dialogue or trap? Play or threat?

The drawing, exquisitely detailed, combines sharp ink lines with delicate wash modeling. The limited yet expressive palette creates a suspended, almost theatrical atmosphere, typical of Moe’s compositions. The tight framing of the encounter intensifies the drama of the image.

A rare example of his large-format graphic work, this piece illustrates Moe’s unique approach: a precise narrative art, balancing literary tradition and Symbolist modernity.