• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
  • The Cut Shop
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • The State of the Uterus
  • Parenting
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Horoscopes
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
  • Curbed
first looks
August 15, 2013

First Look: See Pretty Watercolors of Literature’s Finest Women

By Julie Ma

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn

Artist Samantha Hahn has been a hypnotizing fixture on the Cut, using the delicate, dreamy, and “immediate” medium of watercolors to capture everything from outfits fresh off the Fashion Week runways to detailed makeup looks from backstage. The New York native’s latest endeavor is a book entitled Well-Read Women: Portraits of Fiction’s Most Beloved Heroines, which is filled with 50 stunning, full-page illustrations of literature’s most recognized (and adored) ladies, paired with hand-lettered quotes from the works of fiction in which they appear. The concept for Well-Read Women sprang into Hahn’s mind after she completed a solo show called “A Thousand Ships” dedicated to Helen of Troy. “I was imagining who she was, this face that launched a thousand ships, a woman whose beauty had so much power,” she told the Cut. “That sort of led to the idea that she didn’t really have a voice, and I wanted to go in further and focus on these other amazing, fictional female characters.”  Her show included some of her favorite fictional characters, like Anne Shirley, Holly Golightly, Edna Pontellier, Esther Greenwood, and Clarissa Dalloway.

Over the next two years, Hahn carefully culled together the 50 women in her book by meeting the characters for the first time (or the fiftieth) through the pages of their books, experiencing their lives, and finding a way to capture both their souls and appearances based on the authors’ descriptions alone. “[The portraits] are so much about them and their character,” she explained. “I can relate to so many of them because I feel like there’s a commonality in that they’re all women struggling against the constraints of society, trying to find their voice, express themselves, find love, find creativity. As an artist, I’m exploring them from an emotional standpoint. Their characters are so well portrayed by the author that it’s so much more about their personality and who they are.” The book will go on sale on August 27, but is available for preorder here. Click through the slideshow for a first look at the ethereal illustrations — from Nancy Drew to Lady Kiritsubo — and see your favorite fictional women come to life.

View
1 / 11 Photos
Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Clarissa Dalloway, Mrs. Dalloway  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Edna Pontellier, The Awakening  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Emma Woodhouse, Emma  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Esther Greenwood, The Bell Jar  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany's  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Isabel Archer, The Portrait of a Lady  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Lady Kiritsubo, The Tale of Genji  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Nancy Drew, Nancy Drew Mysteries  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
Nora Charles, The Thin Man  Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Hahn
1 / 11

Tags:

  • first looks
  • art
  • well-read women
  • books
  • watercolors
  • samantha hahn
  • literary women
  • women in literature
  • chronicle books
  • clarissa dalloway
  • daisy buchanan
  • edna pontellier
  • emma woodhouse
  • esther greenwood
  • holly golightly
  • isabel archer
  • lady kiritsubo
  • nancy drew
  • nora charles
  • More

More Galleries

red carpet June 5, 2022
All the Best Looks at the 2022 MTV Movie and TV Awards  Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Hudgens, Jay Ellis, and more! 
parties! May 20, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Harry Styles > everyone! 
parties! May 13, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Bury me in Dove Cameron’s Saint Sintra skirt. 
parties! May 6, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Cue the Met Gala after-party FOMO. 
met gala 2022 May 2, 2022
Met Gala 2022: All the Looks [Photos]  Billie Eilish, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Yeoh, Hailey Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Blake Lively, and more. 
parties! Apr. 29, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  This one goes to Olivia Rodrigo and her sweater vest. 
parties! Apr. 22, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  “Fuck those Zoom tops.” 
celebrity style Apr. 18, 2022
The Best Looks From Coachella 2022  From Harry Styles’s sparkling Gucci set to Megan Thee Stallion’s metallic bodysuit. 
style Apr. 13, 2022
A Look Inside the New Museum’s Spring Gala  Featuring all the best looks. 
grammys 2022 Apr. 3, 2022
Grammy Awards 2022 Red Carpet: All the Looks  Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Lenny Kravitz, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, and more. 
oscars 2022 Mar. 28, 2022
How Were The Oscars After Party Looks Better Than The Actual Award Looks?  Finally, some fun. 
oscars 2022 Mar. 27, 2022
All the Looks From the 2022 Oscars Red Carpet  Zendaya, Regina Hall, Timothée Chalamet, Andrew Garfield, Kristen Stewart, Ariana DeBose, and more. 
style Mar. 22, 2022
Bridgerton Season 2 Premiere: All the Red-Carpet Looks 
style Mar. 13, 2022
BAFTAs 2022: All the Red-Carpet Looks  Florence Pugh, Daniel Kaluuya, Emma Watson, and more! 
celebrity fashion Mar. 6, 2022
Spirit Awards 2022: All the Red-Carpet Looks  Julia Fox, Andrew Garfield, Kristen Stewart, and more! 
Mar. 1, 2022
All of Rihanna’s Maternity Looks  From belly-baring looks to sexy leather dresses. 
Feb. 27, 2022
SAG Awards 2022: All the Red-Carpet Looks  Selena Gomez, Ariana Debose, Daveed Diggs, and more! 
paris couture week 2022 Jan. 27, 2022
Glenn Martens Wows As Guest Couturier for Gaultier Haute Couture It is a sight to behold.
By Vivian Chuang
Dec. 9, 2021
All the Looks From the And Just Like That … Red Carpet  Sarah Jessica Parker, Billy Eichner, Sara Ramirez, and more. 
style Nov. 29, 2021
Gotham Awards 2021: All the Red-Carpet Looks  Tessa Thompson! Kristen Stewart! And more. 
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Help
  • We’re Hiring
  • Press
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Accessibility
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2022 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.