Of my many
artistic decisions for this project, the subject of clothes and
ornamentation remains a primary detail. In my ongoing study of
Burroughs’ text for A Princess of Mars, I find that the idea of the Red
Martians not wearing any clothes is not as straightforward as it may
seem, though it seems to be one believed my many readers. My fellow
Burroughs’ fans, I refer you to three excerpts from the manuscript:
“She was as
destitute of clothes as the green Martians who accompanied her; indeed,
save for her highly wrought ornaments she was entirely naked, nor could
any apparel have enhanced the beauty of her perfect and symmetrical
figure.” (Dejah Thoris, Chapter 8)
Perhaps
Burroughs was referring to only Green Martians and Dejah Thoris at the
time of her capture when he stated that they were without clothes. He
evidently was not referring to all Red Martians, for later, we read:
“Again no
Martian interfered with me, and tearing a piece of silk from my cape I
endeavored to staunch the flow of blood from her nostrils.” (John
tending to Dejah, Chapter 10)
And…
“The chill of
the Martian night was upon us, and removing my silks I threw them across
the shoulders of Dejah Thoris.” (John caring for Dejah, Chapter 13)
So, in effect,
some Red Martians did wear clothes at times. Perhaps they did at night
when the temperature dropped, and surely in the regions nearer the
Poles. Or, Burroughs did not consider the word apparel to cover capes or
what seems to possibly be a silk wrapping of some type, perhaps similar
to a toga. Or perhaps he simply loosened the idea of clothing as the
novel went on. Who can say?
Fortunately,
this ambiguity serves me as an artist, allowing me to stay true to the
novel while granting me license to do what will best serve the visual
images!
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Kaor!
Robert Zoltan
June 2nd, 2017
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