There were a number of animated films released in the twentieth century marketed to children that were adapted from iconic fairy tales collected by authors such as the Brothers Grimm or Alexander Afanasyev.

But these animated film narratives (shown to schoolchildren even today) have been significantly adapted to suit modern tastes—they would be virtually unrecognizable to the authors that originally collected them in the 1700s and 1800s. In their original incarnation, these wanton narratives, rooted in a pre-Christian past, reflected pagan beliefs and a darker, harsher, point of view regarding human existence.

Those familiar with Cinderella might be surprised to know that the evil step-sisters, neither of whom was able to fit their over-sized foot into the tiny glass slipper, removed their toes in an odd display of grotesque desperation. And murder, rape or kidnapping were not uncommon occurrences in these fairy tales for children—the brutal violence these fairy tales reveled in has been mostly left out of modern presentations minus NBC’s Grimm.

Wayward Fairytales, a group visual art show, will imaginatively showcase the macabre and tragic elements of these narratives and reanimate the cultural beliefs and superstitions of people long since departed through various illustrations by a number of artists.

The opening reception for Wayward Fairytales will be on Saturday, March 10, from 6pm to 10 pm at the Modern Eden Gallery. Entrance is free. The exhibition will run until April 5 and will be open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 7pm.

• Tag: fairy tales, literature, modern eden, visual art