Three prints of La Fontaine fables, 1750

File — Box: CFC Printed Materials Box 3

Identifier: CFC2021.0260.1-3

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The Carlson Fable Collection is a gathering of primary fable materials at Reinert Alumni Memorial Library at Creighton University. It grew out of the personal collection of fable materials gathered by Rev. Gregory Carlson, S.J. and was given to the Creighton Libraries in 1996. There are more than 10,000 books and approximately 8,000 artifacts in the collection.

From plates to stamps, from cards to whiskey decanters, from toys to posters, you'll find just about anything you can imagine here. Please explore all that is to offer here in my fables Catalogue of Objects.

This is the largest online catalog of fable related objects on the internet. Many are from Aesop's Fables but you will find La Fontaine, Velazquez and Krylov also represented in this collection.

Dates

1750

Extent

3 Prints : Three prints of La Fontaine fables CXCIV, CXCVII, and CCXXXVI, matted. Prints or separated pages? ; With margins about 4" x 7". Illustrations alone 3" x 4¾".

Language of Materials

French

Additional Description

Abstract

There are two mysteries about these three well-worn images. First, are they prints, pages, or perhaps plates removed from pages? Secondly, who created them when? One clue is that they are not following La Fontaine's system of "books" but rather a numbering system that presents individual pieces up to #236 at least. I will keep an eye out for identical illustrations. Do not miss the serving girl pouring wine expertly into the shepherd's cup in CXCIV and the utter lack of interaction in CXCVII. Of these three, "The English Fox" (CCXXXVI; 12.23) gets my prize. The English fox was finally cornered by the dogs and hung himself up with other prey as though he were dead. The trick worked – once, but not twice.