Who painted Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper?

Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper was painted by Richard Redgrave in 1842.

Where can I see Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper?

Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper?

Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper is associated with British Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper?

Museum-quality prints of Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper

Richard Redgrave , 1842

Cinderella About to Try on the Glass Slipper is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist Richard Redgrave. It dates from 1842 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This oil painting by Redgrave captures the moment just before Cinderella attempts to fit the glass slipper.

About this work

Overview

The scene is rendered with careful attention to costume and interior detail, though the attire and furnishings do not align with any single historical period.

This oil painting by Redgrave captures the moment just before Cinderella attempts to fit the glass slipper. The scene is rendered with careful attention to costume and interior detail, though the attire and furnishings do not align with any single historical period. Instead, they blend elements from medieval, 18th-century, and Victorian eras, creating a deliberate anachronism that distances the image from literal storytelling.

Subject & Meaning

The painting illustrates a pivotal instant in the Cinderella tale, focusing on tension and anticipation rather than resolution. A step-sister’s dismissive remark, quoted by the artist, underscores the social friction surrounding Cinderella’s claim to the slipper. The composition emphasizes the contrast between her quiet demeanor and the surrounding skepticism, framing the moment as one of fragile possibility.

Technique & Style

Redgrave employed glazing techniques to achieve luminous skin tones and rich fabric textures, enhancing the painting’s atmospheric depth. The layered application of translucent oil pigments allows light to interact subtly with surfaces, lending a soft glow to the slipper and garments. This method, common in 19th-century academic painting, supports the work’s refined, almost theatrical realism.

History & Provenance

The painting was exhibited publicly with a direct literary quotation, indicating Redgrave’s intent to anchor the image in its narrative source. Its early reception noted the eclectic styling as intentional, not careless. While its early ownership records are sparse, it remained within British collections, reflecting its status as a genre work appreciated for its narrative nuance rather than its historical accuracy.

Context

Created during a period when Victorian audiences favored literary and fairy-tale subjects, the painting aligns with a broader trend of reimagining folk narratives through refined academic technique. The deliberate mixing of eras may reflect contemporary fascination with historical hybridity, as well as a desire to evoke timeless moral themes rather than depict a specific past.

Legacy

Though not widely reproduced, the painting is recognized for its nuanced approach to fairy-tale illustration. Its stylistic anachronisms influenced later artists seeking to avoid rigid historical reconstruction in mythic subjects. Redgrave’s choice to foreground psychological tension over spectacle contributed to a quieter, more introspective tradition in narrative painting.