Rébecca Dautremer. Alice nel Paese delle Meraviglie.

In the interpretation of the french artist Rébecca Dautremer, Alice experiences an adventure which lasts the time of a dream in a land with a gloomy atmosphere. The calm and the silence reign for the whole narration and the noisy Caucus Race lowers its tone. It seems as if the chatter was absorbed by the surrounding waters. To break this peace, the artist introduces some unexpected events which leave the audience out of breath. The viewer, in fact, without notice, is catapulted into the scene or thrown out of it by a refined and unusual perspective.

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Title: Alice nel Paese delle Meraviglie

Author: Rébecca Dautremer, Masolino D'Amico,  Lewis Carroll

Writer: Masolino D'Amico (translation), Lewis Carroll.

Illustrators: Rébecca Dautremer

Dimension:  34,5x22,5 cm

Pages: 142

Cover: hardcover

Illustrations: 25 black and white plates and 24 coloured plates

Language: Italian
Publisher: Rizzoli, RCS Libri S.p.A., via Angelo Rizzoli, 8, 20132, Milano, website: www.rizzoli.eu , e-mail: ufficiostampa.rizzoli@rcs.it

Edition: second edition 2012

Print: printed in China in 2012
ISBN: 978-88-17-05195-8

€ 28,00

Versione italiana

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Bought on August 20th, 2012 in Bologna
at La Feltrinelli bookstore
P.zza di Porta Ravegnana, 1.

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Rébecca Dautremer's biography.

She is an illustrator and author of children's books. She was born in Gap, a town in the south of France. Rébecca has attended the ENSAD in Paris and in 1995 she got the degree in graphic editions. At the beginning of her career she worked ad graphic editor and illustrator, then she has started to writhe her own books. Rébecca Dautremer lives in Paris. 

Some published titles

Dautremer, Rébecca, Fontaine J. La. Coloriages. Paris: Deux coqs d'or, 1995. 

Fort, Paul, Rébecca Dautremer. Paul Fort. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 1996. 

Dautremer, Rébecca. Au Clair De La Terre: Poésie. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 1997.

Noël, Geneviève, Rébecca Dautremer. Le Lion Qui Ne Voulait Pas Devenir Vieux. Paris: Larousse-Bordas, 2000.

Biondi, Ghislaine, Rébecca Dautremer. Le Géant Aux Oiseaux. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2000.

Dautremer, Rébecca. Tant Espéré, Tant Attendu. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2000.
Dautremer, Rébecca. Le Ciel N'en Fait Qu'à Sa Tête. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2000.
Monleon, Jean-Vital, De, Rébecca Dautremer. Les Deux Mamans De Petirou. 2001.
Piquet, Muriel, Hugues Denisot. Tatou Le Matou: Méthode Pour L'enseignement Du Français Langue Étrangère Aux Jeunes Enfants. Paris: Hachette, 2002.

Piquet, Muriel, Hugues Denisot, Rébecca Dautremer. Tatou Le Matou: 2. Paris: Hachette, 2002.

Dautremer, Rébecca. Histoires De Fées Et Elfes. Toulouse: Milan, 2002.

Ponchon, Christian, Rébecca Dautremer. Une Lettre Pour Lily... La Licorne! Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2002.

Dautremer, Rébecca. Histoires De Chevaliers Et Troubadours. Toulouse: Milan, 2003. 

Beigel, Christine, Rébecca Dautremer. Je Suis Petite, Mais... Mon Arbre Est Grand! Paris: Magnard jeunesse, 2003. 

Dautremer, Rébecca, Thanh M. Le. L'amoureux. Paris: Gauthier-Languereau, 2003.

Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer. Babayaga. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2003. 

Laury, Pierre, Rébecca Dautremer. Le Livre Qui Vole. Mont-près-Chambord: Bilboquet, 2003.
Brisac, Nathalie, Rébecca Dautremer, Reno Isaac, Philippe Collin, Laura Païs, Erick Deshors. Thésée Contre Le Minotaure. Paris: EPM jeunesse, 2004.

Lechermeier, Philippe, Rébecca Dautremer. Princesses Oubliées Ou Inconnues. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2004.

Jenner-Metz, Florence, Rébecca Dautremer. Lili La Libellule. Mont-près-Chambord: Bilboquet, 2004.

Derème, Tristan, Rébecca Dautremer. Patachou. Paris: Magnard, 2004.

Casali, Dimitri, Rébecca Dautremer. L'égypte. Paris: Larousse, 2004.

Dautremer, Rébecca. Chansons De Noe͏̈l. Clichy (Hauts-de-Seine: Larivière, 2004. 

Dautremer, Rébecca, Mona Lethanh, Marita Vermeulen. Ik Val Op Jou! Leuven: Davidsfonds/Infodok, 2004. 

Perrault, Charles, Rébecca Dautremer. Contes. Champigny-sur-Marne: Éd. Lito, 2004.

Lelorrain, Anne-Marie, Rébecca Dautremer. Les Chevaliers. Paris: Larousse, 2004.
Bondoux, Anne-Laure, Rébecca Dautremer. La Princetta Et Le Capitaine. Paris: Hachette, 2004.

Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer, Edmond Rostand. Cyrano. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2005.

Norac, Carl, Rébecca Dautremer. Sentimento. Mont-près-Chambord: Bilboquet, 2005. 

Mathuisieulx, Sylvie , Isabelle Moëns-Guyot, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer. Le Jour Et La Nuit, Comment Ça Marche? Paris: Belin, 2005.

Mathuisieulx, Sylvie, Catherine Millécamps, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer. Manger, À Quoi Ça Sert? Paris: Belin, 2005.

Weulersse, Odile, Rébecca Dautremer. Nasreddine. Paris: Père Castor Flammarion, 2005.

Palluy, Christine, Rébecca Dautremer, Claire Degans, Daneth Khong. Histoires De Princesses. Champigny-sur-Marne: Lito, 2005. 

Genevoix, Maurice, Rébecca Dautremer. La Chèvre Aux Loups. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2006. 

Benchetrit, André, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer. En Fait L'eau, C'est Quoi? Paris: Belin, 2006.

Benchetrit, André, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer, Marion Gehin. La Préhistoire, Comment C'était? Paris: Belin, 2006.

Benchetrit, André, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer. Mon Corps, Comment Se Défend-Il? Paris: Belin, 2006.

Zlahtrkjrswnvkke, Dragoljub, Rébecca Dautremer. La Tortue Géante Des Galapagos: Tragédie En Cinq Actes Pour Une Coccinelle, Un Moustique Et 8 Animaux De Ferme. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2006.

Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer. Le Grand Courant D'air. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2006.

Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer. Le Berger Ou À Quoi Pensent Les Petits Moutons Avant De S'endormir: Avec Un Mouton, Un Merveilleux Compagnon, Un Troupeau De Petits Gars. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2007. 

Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer, Edmond Rostand. Cyrano. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2007.Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer. Qui?, Ou, Un Petit Vent De Folie. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2007.

Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer. Gros Cochon, Ou, Un Joli Bouquet De Papiers Gras. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2007.

Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer. La Petite Soeur Carnivore Ou La Maladie Du Mouton Fou! Avec Un Mouton, Une Petite Soeur, Des Steaks. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2007.

Benchetrit, André, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer, Marion Gehin. Les Étoiles Brillent, Pourquoi? Paris: Belin, 2007.
Benchetrit, André, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer. Le Cerveau, À Quoi Ça Sert? Paris: Belin, 2007.

Benchetrit, André, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer. Le Moyen Âge, Comment C'était? Paris: Belin, 2007.
Weulersse, Odile, Rébecca Dautremer. Nasreddine & Son Âne. Paris: Père Castor Flammarion, 2007.
Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer. Le Jour Des Gonflés Ou Un Gros Vent De Folie: Avec Un Mouton, Beaucoup D'air, Un Petit Pop. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2008.

Le, Thanh T.-M, Rébecca Dautremer. Elvis. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2008.

Monléon, Jean-Vital , Rébecca Dautremer. Les Deux Mamans De Petirou: Expliquer L'adoption Aux Tout-Petits. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2008.

Mathuisieulx, Sylvie , Isabelle Pouyau, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer. Aller À L'école, Pour Quoi Faire? Paris: Belin, 2008.

Le, Cornec E, Laurent Sabathié, Rébecca Dautremer. L'égypte Des Pharaons, Comment C'était? Paris: Belin, 2008.

Perrault, Charles, Christian Aubrun, Rébecca Dautremer. Contes De Perrault. Champigny-sur-Marne: Éditions Lito, 2008.

Savasta, Estelle, Rébecca Dautremer. Seule Dans Ma Peau D'âne. Carnières-Morlanwelz (Belgique: Lansman, 2008.

Dautremer, Rébecca, Arthur Leboeuf. Le Loup De La 135e. Paris: Seuil jeunesse, 2008. 

Lechermeier, Philippe, Rébecca Dautremer. Journal Secret Du Petit Poucet. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2009.

Le, Ray A, Rébecca Dautremer. Kerity. Paris: Flammarion, 2009.

Dautremer, Rébecca, and Thanh T.-M. Le. Artbook. Paris: Chêne, 2009. 

Lelorrain, Anne-Marie, Rébecca Dautremer. Au Temps Des Châteaux Forts. Paris: Larousse, 2009.

Carroll, Lewis, Rébecca Dautremer, Sophie Koechlin. Alice Au Pays Des Merveilles. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2010.

Norac, Carl, Rébecca Dautremer, Bebel Gilberto, David Francis, Jacob Homel. Swing Cafe. Montreal: Secret Mountain, 2010.

Dautremer, Rébecca. Le Petit Théâtre De Rébecca. Paris: Gautier-Languereau, 2011.

About Rébecca Dautremer. Minimum Bibliography.

Lavand, Solène. Rébecca Dautremer: [catalogue]. Paris: la Maison des contes et des histoires, 2007.

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About the book

I was lucky enough to see Rébecca Dautremer's French edition book, before it was published in Italy, thanks to a shop assistant in a bookstore in downtown Bologna who has shown me her own copy. Before I flipped through the pages, just from the cover, I immediately realized that I had in my hands a book which would have an impact on the story of Lewis Carroll.  In the Italian edition, finally in my possession after some time, the illustrations are accompanied by Masolino D'Amico's famous Italian translation. The illustrator presents Alice through a series of coloured plates and black and white drawings which, thanks to the large size of the book, can be admired even in the smallest details. Rébecca's Alice is a brunette girl with vaguely eastern feature and, in my opinion, inspired by Alice Liddell, of whom she keeps the bob haircut.  If Alice does not follow the canons of classical representations which see her with long blonde hair, the other characters follow a similar path as well and, through the artist's hand, they are transformed in figures never seen before. The most innovative aspect of Dautremer's work, however, is to be found in the frame and the selection of the scenes. During the over hundred years of Wonderland's illustrated books, in fact, the illustrators, having as a model Sir John Tenniel's example, who first gave a face to Alice after Carroll, get us used to find in the book some well connoted pictures which over the time have become the classic scenes of the story. These "classic" illustrations follow Tenniel's model not only for the choice of the moment to be represented in the narration, but also for the frame of the scene. Dautremer breaks this tradition. The French artist's Wonderland is a seaside resort: maritime, lacustrine and paludal. An heavy air, grey and almost unhealthy surrounds all the landscape and characters; the gloomy atmosphere lowers the brightness which some colours, in the perfect palette of the illustrator, could have had if they were lighted by a bright sun. the characters are ambiguous, detached and in their eyes shines a dim light, witness of a tangible madness, not euphoric, but melancholic. Each scene causes a vertigo in the viewer. The perspective and the uncommon point of view include or reject the viewer from the scene, placing s/he in an unusual position for observation. In the illustration which represents Alice meeting the Caterpillar, in fact, the viewer takes Alice's place and looks at the Caterpillar on the mushroom from the modest height of 7 inches. On the other hand, in the illustration of the Cheshire cat the viewer is pushed in an indefinite point, so high in the sky that it is not possible to see the ground. Dautremer's Wonderland is the product of a dream. The book opens, in fact, with a picture of Alice asleep on the sofa and ends with the same frame while Alice awakens. The thin line between reality and dream is well defined, with no ambiguity, and no doubt is left to the viewer about the nature of the fantastic adventure.