Three Blind Mice

Three Mice in Holland - Who's Chasing Whom Here?

This is the one illustration with a clearly defined cultural influence. The attire of the farmer’s wife, including hat and shoes, is plainly Dutch. Circled by the mice, she becomes the central focus of the unrealistic illustration. The colors are confined to blue, red, and a kind of olive; and the mice are proportionally too large. The wife’s limited facial features of oval eyes and mouth convey a feeling of alarm, but not one of fear or disgust, as in the many illustrations of this rhyme. The minimalism of the illustration carries through to the mice. They have the required ‘mouse parts’ of ears, tails, noses, and legs, but little else. If they are visually impaired, it is not evident in this illustration. The unnatural depiction and proportions are likewise evident in the basic flowers, including tulips, and the bare geometric farmhouse in the background. The limited detail of this illustration invokes a limited emotional response.