Book Cover
Daughters of Eve
by Sally Wiener-Grotta
Daughters of Eve is a collection of feminist essays by Sally Wiener Grotta, exploring the female archetypes of the Old Testament and how they shape our understanding of womanhood today.
Sally wanted a minimalist, expressive cover for her book that communicated feminine power, tradition, and connection between women. She specifically mentioned that she admired the post-impressionism of Gaugin and Matisse, so I made sure to offer options that included works by those artists.
some early concepts
Matisse "Dance". Sally mentioned this painting specifically, so I mocked up a look as a cover combined with the title text.
Eve and apple. Sally had also mentioned hands reaching out imagery, so I used a line drawing of a hand reaching out towards an apple, which exists simultaneously in the line drawing "world" and also in a much more colorful, organic one.
Gaugin "The Call". Sally had also specifically mentioned Gaugin, so I used this detail from "The Call" representing two very different women—one fully covered, one nearly naked; one looking at the viewer, one looking far-off—that are nevertheless close to each other in an embrace.
Line drawing. Sally had also mentioned liking minimalism, so I made sure to include one minimalist look as well. This one returns to apple imagery, and presents the apple in a way that is organic, dynamic, and enticing.
refining the concept
Sally decided pretty quickly that Matisse’s “Dance” most fully expressed everything she wanted to about the book. However, she didn’t just want to slap text on a painting on and call it a cover—she wanted to put her own spin on the classic artwork. So—after checking the various copyright restrictions—we decided on color as an expressive way to relate the painting to the contents of the book.
I chose expressive, dynamic Zapfino for the title typeface, and elegant Caslon for the body text, and finally added a distressed paper texture to the cream field.
Sally was thrilled with the final cover for the book, which you can learn more about and purchase here.
