Famous Illustrations of Fables by Jean de La Fontaine

So much of today’s media focuses on issues that divide us. I thought this week I’d take a break from conflict and breeze through a topic that most of us, regardless of political leanings, can embrace: the fables of the French poet, Jean de La Fontaine. Between 1668 and 1694, La Fontaine produced 239 fables—all delivered in verse. La Fontaine took his inspiration from a variety of sources: Aesop from ancient Greece, the Panchatantra from India, Roman fabulists like Phaedrus, European authors like Machiavelli and Rabelais, and many more.

Each tale ends with an insightful lesson learned: don’t give up, be kind to others, necessity is the mother of invention, appearances can be deceptive, and so on. No matter the audience, arguments don’t erupt after the presentation of one of La Fontaine’s fables. The moral of every story is always a guiding principle that we all can agree on.

Since their initial publication, the fables have been reprinted, translated, and adapted countless times. Few authors have captured the hearts of more readers and even fewer have captured the hearts of so many illustrators. Delightful stories lead to delightful illustrations and on that note, I leave you with a tiny treasure of tableaux to brighten your day.

The Rat Who Withdrew from the World, Philippe Rousseau

Le Rat qui s'est retiré du monde
Le Rat qui s’est retiré du monde, Philippe Rousseau, 1860

The Wolf Accusing the Fox Before the Monkey, Desperet, Robert, Bren’Amour, and Jean-Jacques Grandville

Le Loup plaidant contre le renard par devant le singe
Le Loup plaidant contre le renard par devant le singe, Desperet, Robert et Bren’Amour (engravers), Jean-Jacques Grandville (illustrator), 1838

The Frogs Who Wanted a King, Gustave Moreau

Les Grenouilles qui demandent un Roi
Les Grenouilles qui demandent un Roi, Gustave Moreau, 1884

The Stag and the Vine, Gustave Doré

Le Cerf et la Vigne
Le Cerf et la Vigne, by Gustave Doré, 1867

The Fox and the Stork, Jean-Baptiste Oudry

Le Renard et la Cigogne
Le Renard et la Cigogne, Jean-Baptiste Oudry, 1721

The Wolf, the Nanny and the Kid, Jean-Jacques Grandville

Le Loup, la Chèvre et le Chevreau
Le Loup, la Chèvre et le Chevreau, by J. J. Grandville, circa 1840

The Wolf and the Lamb, Gallimard and Oudry

Le loup et l'Agneau
Le loup et l’Agneau, Claude Olivier Gallimard (engraver), Jean-Baptiste Oudry (illustrator), 1755

Death and the Woodcutter, Jean-François Millet

La Mort et le Bucheron
La Mort et le Bûcheron, Jean-François Millet, 1858

The Lion and the Monkey, Percy J. Billinghurst

The Lion and the Monkey
The Lion and the Monkey, by Percy J. Billinghurst, circa 1900.

The Crow and the Fox, Félix Lorioux

Le Corbeau et le Renard
Le Corbeau et le Renard, Félix Lorioux, 1949

The Pig, the Goat and the Sheep, François Chauveau

Le Cochon, la Chèvre et le Mouton
Le Cochon, la Chèvre et le Mouton, by François Chauveau, 1688

Death and the Woodcutter, Léon Lhermittte

La Mort et le Bucheron
La Mort et le Bucheron, Léon Lhermitte, 1893

The Fox and the Stork, Flipart and Oudry

Le Renard et la Cigogne
Le Renard et la Cigogne, J.J. Flipart (engraver), Jean-Baptiste Oudry (illustrator), 1755

The Animals Sick from the Plague, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita

Les Animaux malades de la peste
Les Animaux malades de la peste, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, 1961

The Monkey and the Cat, Gustave Doré

Le Singe et le Chat
Le Singe et le Chat, by Gustave Doré, circa 1865

The Milkmaid and the Pot of Milk, Jean-Honoré Fragonard

La Laitière et le Pot au lait
La Laitière et le Pot au lait, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, circa 1770

The Earthen Pot and the Pot of Iron, Marc Chagall

Le Pot de terre et le Pot de fer
Le Pot de terre et le Pot de fer, by Marc Chagall, 1927

Favorites?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this short journey into practical whimsy. Did any of the illustrations stand out above the rest? Let me know your favorites in the comments below.

About Carol A. Seidl

Serial software entrepreneur, writer, translator, and mother of 3. Avid follower of French media, culture, history, and language. Lover of books, travel, history, art, cooking, fitness, and nature. Cultivating connections with francophiles and francophones.

11 Comments

  1. Lovely! Doré’s style is still my favorite

    • Wonderful. I’m so glad you think so, Emma. I’m a huge fan. Isn’t that stag engraving outstanding?

      Part of the beauty of this post for me is the variety. I’m terrible at choosing favorites of just about anything. So, I can’t make up my mind here. What I love, however, is how different these pieces are from each other. Every artist has their own extraordinary fingerprint.

  2. You really do thorough research. Tous mes compliments.
    Difficult to chose, they’re all very good. I like Gustave Moreau a lot. Have you been to his museum?
    I also have a modern edition of La Fontaine illustrated by Doré. Priceless. (But so heavy when one moves…)
    Bon Dimanche Carol.

    • I love Moreau’s frogs as well Brieuc. Yes, I visited his museum last winter–based on your recommendation and those of few other people. I’m glad I went. It’s a very unique place.

      I found myself wishing that more of the works that are housed there had been completed. But it was also interesting to see his process. Were I an artist, I think the place would have been even more instructive.

      • I thought we’d talked about it. (Did you post about it? My memory is definitely slipping.)
        It is quite unique. The layout has been screwed up a bit by COVID, but it still remains unique.
        I hope artists and students still go there.

    • Also, don’t be too impressed with the research. I got the idea for the post when I saw there was a La Fontaine exhibit of this nature in Paris. Can’t remember where. Maybe le Petit Palais. I wasn’t able to attend but hopefully they will revitalize and re-exhibit every few years.

      • Research is research. It’s one of the 2 or 3 major learnings I kept from grad school in the US. We don’t do papers or research in France. At least not in my school. We did a lot of boring case studies, and lots of exams. A few essays, but no research involved. Don’t know how it is now.
        Petit Palais does great expos.
        And La Fontaine is a great theme.

  3. These are awesomely skilled pieces, real works of art. Several, especially the first by Rousseau and the two for “Death and the Woodcutter” are equal to anything you would see in an art museum (well, I realize some of these people were well-known as painters). I don’t know the story, but the expression on the woodcutter’s face in the Lhermitte speaks volumes.

    Grandville’s illustration practically tells a good part of the story by itself. It’s striking how these artists make their wolves and foxes so expressive.

    In the French language in general, a great many words have some recognizable similarity to the English equivalents, but it seems that almost all the words for animals are totally different. Curious.

    • Great observations Infidel. Those wolves and foxes really do look sly! The sheep, not so much. 🙂

      One thing I noticed in doing this post (and the one on Patte blanche) is that some time during the 1800s, artists began anthropomorphizing the animals, adding hats, vests, pocket watches, etc. Still, some like Doré remained true to original interpretations in that the animals looked like normal animals in their customary settings.

      You’re right about French words that name animals. Not cool for early learners of French! To paraphrase Steve Martin: “Those darn French have a different word for everything!” Ha!

      Once you get to wild animals, the differences tend to be less (?). Examples: éléphant, crocodile, zèbra, hyène, perroquet, dromadaire, aigle, bison…

  4. Oh, my goodness! These are gorgeous!

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