Hunchback: Esmeralda

The tragic heroine of the story, always portrayed as a temptress, seductive young woman, that betrays the reality of who she actually is, in both 1480 and 1942. Even in 2026, we can say that Romani people are as truthful and loyal to their traditions as they were in past centuries. I strived to make a more realistic portrayal of a proud, beautiful Gypsy woman, whose culture does not get romanticize or stereotyped as it was - and still is today.

Young Gypsy woman

Esmeralda in 1480  is young, beautiful, gypsy girl in the novel who earns her living through dancing. Proud of her heritage. Exotic, peculiar and charming. Her shoes are practical for her work. The red doublet, in bright crimson with gold embroidery, shows her vitality and her pride.  The skirt is as practical as it is warm and protective. The shawls in her waist she wears, give her the lightness of her youth and freedom to move.

 She is not the bare shoulder temptress. The only concession to sensuality? the curly hair under the hair scarf and her bare arms that rise when she dances.

Young Gypsy woman in 1942

5 centuries later, Esmeralda keeps working. Probably helps in the fields. Or helps clean houses. Maybe she is part of a troupe of wandering musicians. In 1942 she gets trapped near Paris under Nazi occupation. Her clothing speaks of a simple life -  her strength, her independence and her ability to work hard -  and at the same time, it betrays her origins. In this cruel new world, she is in danger, but there is no power that can change her fate, nor her spirit. The softness of the scarf and the blouse contrasts with the weight of her wool skirt, grounding her in reality.

 The blue for loyalty. The red for fierceness. The white for purity and goodness. 

The French flag.