Fables, Two Volumes - La Fontaine & Grandville - Antique Book

Author: Jean de La Fontaine Title: Fables de La Fontaine Illustrées par J. J. Grandville. Nouvelle edition. Imprint: Paris, H. Fournier Ainé. Technique: Two volumes. Volume 1 contains a wood-engraved title page on hardwood, XXVIII, and 292 pages of text; Volume 2 contains 312 pages. The entire work features 120 full-page wood-engraved illustrations on hardwood, with decorative geometric borders preceding and following the text of each fable. Bound in half-leather, with a romantic-style gilt-decorated spine. The front and back covers are wrapped in reddish-brown marbled paper, both featuring gilt embossed patterns. The new edition and the first edition were published in the same year. Date: 1838. Dimensions: 22 x 14 cm (BO 56). Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) was born in Château-Thierry, in the Aisne department of central France, the son of a government official. He studied law and theology but ultimately decided to become a writer. From 1652 to 1671, he succeeded his father as the administrator of forests and waters in his hometown. In 1664, he published *Contes et nouvelles en vers* (Tales and New Tales in Verse), drawing inspiration from Boccaccio, Rabelais, and Ariosto. Though elegantly written, it contained many salacious scenes, leading contemporary critics to deem it indecent. His work that brought him widespread fame, *The Fables*, first appeared in 1668 and became his lifelong pursuit, which he continued to write until his death, resulting in twelve books and 239 fables. The stories in *The Fables* were not La Fontaine's original creations; they primarily derive from Aesop of ancient Greece, the Roman fabulist Phaedrus, and the ancient Indian collection *Panchatantra*, as well as medieval European and 17th-century folk tales. However, La Fontaine transformed the old into the new, elevating the traditional genre of the fable to a new height. His poetic style is flexible, his vocabulary rich, his meter varied, and he excelled at using animals to represent people, satirizing the duplicity of social climbers and the arrogance of the powerful. These twelve volumes of fables were cherished by both children and adults. In addition to standard text publications, renowned illustrators have continuously contributed their art. The edition by Grandville (1803-1847) is one of the most celebrated. Grandville, whose real name was Jean Ignace Isidore Gérard, is widely known by his pseudonym. He was a significant French illustrator and caricaturist of the 19th century. Born into an artistic family in Nancy, in northeastern France, Grandville was the professional stage name adopted by his grandparents. His father, a miniaturist painter, set him on a path of drawing. At the age of twenty-one, he moved to Paris and soon published a series of lithographs. It wasn't until 1829, with *Les Métamorphoses du jour* (The Metamorphoses of the Day), that he gained widespread recognition. This series of seventy plates combined animal heads with human bodies, presenting a theatrical comedy of life, where human characteristics were strikingly conveyed through anthropomorphic animal forms. Grandville's rise in France during this period was contextualized by the era. Following the July Revolution of 1830 in France, the publication of popular imagery experienced a resurgence. A significant component of this popular imagery was satirical prints of customs and manners. After the French Revolution, the moral standards and aesthetic theories established by the ruling class faced relentless criticism. Amidst sharp class antagonism and social conflict, moderation was nowhere to be found, and satirical prints played a pivotal role. Such works employed exaggerated strokes to attack and disparage opponents, achieving their objective while simultaneously stirring public emotion through sensational and distorted imagery to gain their approval. Revolutionaries themselves acknowledged satirical cartoons as potent tools for swaying public opinion. By 1815, the restoration forces in Europe reestablished the old autocratic regimes, and the satirical prints popular during the revolutionary period faced official censorship, temporarily falling silent. After the July Revolution, the new French regime promised freedom of speech, and satirical prints revived. Many renowned French caricaturists emerged onto the historical stage during this time. Grandville's contributions to satirical cartoons were exceptional. Prominent illustrated journals of the time, such as "La Caricature," "La Silhouette," and "L'Artiste," eagerly collaborated with him. He used his humorous and satirical style to critique the politics and society of the era, earning him considerable fame. Unfortunately, this success was short-lived. By 1835, the tide turned, and censorship of cartoons became even stricter. Grandville was compelled to dedicate himself entirely to book illustration, creating illustrations for numerous classic works, including *Don Quixote*, *Gulliver's Travels*, and *Robinson Crusoe*. Of course, he also illustrated La Fontaine's highly popular and visually adaptable *Fables*. Similar to his achievements in satirical cartoons, in his book illustrations, he continued to use his absurd and exaggerated style to precisely capture the characteristics of each character with astonishing creativity. His humor was gentle and refined, imbued with thought-provoking philosophy. His illustrations for *The Fables*, comprising 120 plates, offer a perfect glimpse into the exceptional artistic ingenuity of this outstanding illustrator. *Please feel free to message the designer with any detailed inquiries. *This gallery primarily features Western antiques, vintage jewelry, home decor, and European original prints and books. Vintage items may bear traces of historical age, but when thoughtfully arranged with personal taste, they contribute to an exceptional lifestyle and aesthetic philosophy. Those who are concerned are advised to consider carefully before placing an order.