Original Art
Many kinds of original art have come my way. It is easiest to group the works by the materials out of which they are made. Look for the Mexican pottery piece, the American stained glass, the fable written for me, and the German wood carvings:
The work of John Ryrie
I have thought for some time how to integrate the work of John Ryrie into this website. He presents a challenge because we have, through his generosity, not only a book already catalogued but an additional booklet and advertisements for four different exhibits in various shapes and forms, including a clever bookmark. I have decided to bring together here everything but the two books, which I cross-reference here. Of course I have hopes to bring more of his work into the collection!
Books/booklets:
Exhibit announcements:
Glass
1986 Stained glass window: Ulm fox leaping for grapes. Done by Bob Engel for Christmas, 1986.
1988 Slide scenes of lion and mouse, put in glass by Bob Engel. Slides from Rummage-o-rama for $.25.
1989 Stained glass window: Ulm bear with two travellers. Done by Bob Engel for Christmas, 1989.
Metal
2015? Metal engraving of TH on cherry wood signed by Russell Hoover. Registered engraving No. 0283. 9" x 6¾". Unknown source and date of acquisition.
The position of the two heads and the two bodies is well done. The body of the hare half-surrounds that of the tortoise. Is the hare lying still? The tortoise is certainly not! The tortoise looks up at the hard. Is that a surprised look by the hare? A wary one? Well done!
2015? Metal engraving of LM on cherry wood signed by Russell Hoover. Registered engraving No. 0223. 9" x 6¾". Unknown source and date of acquisition.
This lion seems the perfect image of patience. The many cords of the net structure the scene well against the curves of the hills, the horizontal line of the plain, and the vertical lines of the trees. This engraving refused to be scanned well. I doubt that the photograph does it justice.
Paper
I have found a number of individual creative art works done on paper. Then recently I also found a wonderful set of colored woodblock prints after the work of Henry LeMarié. So you have two choices:
Jessie Wyrick OR Circus Zine
Other Individual Original Paper Art
1921 "The Fable of Alf and Pete." K.D. Vanity Fair, September, 1921. 8.5" x 11".
An original fable in the magazine “Vanity Fair”. The author's initials are K.D. The title states “The Fable of Alph and Pete; Showing That There Is Frequently More Than One Way of Getting By.” A print of a picture titled “Geraldine and Pete” accompanies the story. The visual artist’s name is Paul Thevenaz.
1950? Original hand-painted card, 5½" x 3½", presenting CW. Nantes: Madame Yvonne. €10 at Recto-Verso, Strasbourg, July, '19.
There is a story somewhere behind this handmade card! This cat-woman has seized the mouse. The room shows evidence of her mad dash to catch the mouse. Is that a TV in the background? And is that something like a Billiken on top of the TV? I am a little confused about the cat-woman's clothing. Where does dress stop and skin start? Her lower half seems to indicate something like a dress or robe. Her upper body seems uncovered. There is not only a story behind the creation of this card. I would love to learn something of its history. What a surprise find!
1960? Four original pen-and-ink drawings of Aesop's fables, about 4" x 2½'. FS, FC, TH, and WL. €60 at Daniel & Lilli, Saint-Ouen Flea Market, June, '19.
How surprising to find four original "India ink" drawings in a shop specializing in buttons on a hot weekend afternoon at the Marché des Puces! These drawings are quite clever. The stork is turning down the fox's soup without even trying it! The fox is holding out his top hat to catch the crow's cheese. The hare is catching butterflies while the tortoise crosses the finish line. The wolf at the river carries a big stick as he accosts the lamb with his jacket and neck-kerchief. The lettering is so perfect on these four drawings that I wonder if they were not printed. In any case, I delight in them!
1969-80 Sixteen original cuts, either woodcuts or linocuts, signed, originally appearing in Illustration 63. All but one are folded over. 8" x 11¾" and slightly smaller. $110 for the sixteen from Paul Dufrasne, Berlin, Germany, Nov.-Dec., '00. GGE; FG; TH, CP.
These fine illustrations show that Aesopic fables remain material on which good artists develop their style. My favorites from these strong works include Klaus Eberlein's FC with its strong figures and lovely colors, Herbert F. Plahl's "The Statue-Seller" with its heavy musculature and curious facial expression, and Eduard Prüssen's FC with its firm designs
- Helmut Ackermann: "The Fox and the Eagle," linocut. Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 2. 1972. (2 copies)
- Helmut Ackermann: "The Wolf and the Goat," linocut and initial. 6¾" x 9½". Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 3. 1981.
- Helmut Ackermann: FC, linocut and initial. 7½" x 11". Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 3. 1980.
- Helmut Ackermann: "Ass and Crow," linocut on Aesop, signed. Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 3. 1979.
- Archibald Bajorat, FC, three-colored woodcut. Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 3. 1980.
- Klaus Eberlein, FC, four-colored linocut. Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 1. 1981.
- Klaus Eberlein, "The Ass and the Lion," four-colored linocut. Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 2. 1972.
- Peter Kleinschmidt: "Fox and Grapes," linocut for Flupp Hugats Sprachspiel-Variation of an Aesopic fable. 6¾" x 9½". Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 1. 1979.
- Walther Kohlhase, "Fox and Grapes," woodcut for Flupp Hugats third variation of an Aesopic fable. 5¾" x 7½". Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 1. 1979.
- Herbert F. Plahl, "The Birdcatcher and the Asp," woodcut. Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 3. 1970.
- Herbert F. Plahl, "The Statue-Seller," woodcut. Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 1. 1969.
- Eduard Prüssen, FC, woodcut. 7" x 10¼". Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 3. 1980
- Otto Schlosser, "Die Schildröte und der Adler," linocut accompanying the translation of Wilhelm Binder and Johannes Siebelis. Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 2. 1974.
- Annette Ziegler, "Der Kreissende Berg," two-colored linocut. 6¾" x 9½". Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 1. 1973.
- Eugen von Zitzewitz, UP, three-colored linocut. 7½" x 10½". Beilage zu Illustration 63, Heft 2. 1981.
1970 "The Belling of the Cat." Water-color and ink panel by Lisa Haderlie. 4" x 7½" on paper set inside oval matting and framed in glass. $25 from William Hayes at the Alameda flea market, Jan., '02.
This is a typical instance of my collecting luck. At this flea market, I asked only a few dealers if they might have anything dealing with fables. Luckily, this was one of the dealers whom I asked! His answer was something like "Well, does Belling the Cat count?" Of course it does! Here is a one-of-a-kind work. The mouse is all ready, with bell in paw, as another mouse looks on from above. Is the cat aware of what is happening and about to make a move? How lucky of me to find this piece! Click on the smaller version just below to see a larger version.
1975? Hand-painted colored picture of TH. About 3½" x 7⅛". €30 from Daniel et Lilli, Marché Dauphine, Saint-Ouen, France, June, '19.
Here was one of two surprises in a blisteringly hot weekend foray to the Marché aux Puces! "Daniel et Lilli" is basically a button shop on the first floor of the Marché Dauphine. I did find buttons, but I found more brooches and drawings. The helpful attendant just kept bringing me more things! These lovely finds made up for an otherwise not-so-successful day. The bunny sleeps blissfully against a tree while the tortoise passes by. What lovely work, and what a lovely "save" from the fate of most ephemera for this one-of-a-kind object!
1975? Hand-painted colored picture of WL. About 4" x 7". €28 from Daniel et Lilli, Marché Dauphine, Saint-Ouen, France, June, '19.
Here was one of two surprises in a blisteringly hot weekend foray to the Marché aux Puces! "Daniel et Lilli" is basically a button shop on the first floor of the Marché Dauphine. I did find buttons, but I found more brooches and drawings. The helpful attendant just kept bringing me more things! These lovely finds made up for an otherwise not-so-successful day. I enjoy the wolf and the lamb here, but I wonder what the wolf holds in his left paw. Again, what a lovely "save" from the fate of most ephemera for this one-of-a-kind object!
1984? Ten original prints with text by Sarah Chamberlain. Each signed and numbered 26 of 35. $160 from the artist, Oct., '89. Fables: "The Ass in a Lion's Skin"; FS; FK; LM; FC; "The Cock and the Jewel"; GGE; FG; TH, CP.
Beautiful multi-colored work. The best of the set are "The Ass in a Lion's Skin," FK, and LM. A lovely treasure. See now the book of these prints which Ms. Chamberlain published in 1984.
1990 Five original watercolors of "A Farmer and a Mother Lark" by Kim Young-ok, student at Sogang University. Assigned, confiscated, and donated by Margaret Carlson Lytton, Spring, 1990.
Done originally as a class assignment for a story to be told with a visual aid. The fable's beginning and ending come across especially well in these simple and lively prints. How nice to see Aesop alive in this student's imagination!
1992 The Town Rat and the Country Rat. By Jean de la Fontaine. A Coloring Book. Illustrations by Mary-Margaret Dupin.
This class-assignment creative work matches lively computer-generated designs of mice with a summary of La Fontaine's fable. One of a kind!
1992 A Fairy Tale Which Turned into a Fable. Fable written for Gregory Carlson, S.J., by June Clinton. Sent with a letter from the author, Sept., '92.
Delightful story about Solon, Aesop, and Croesus, asking which of the three had the happy ending and concluding that no one lives happily ever after. I would add: "And some do not more than others"! A delightful unique gift.
2000? Illusions, ACEO Nude Drawing Mirror Art Card print. © Nicole B. Fekaris. 2½" x 3½". Signed "Nicci." $.99 from Nicole Fekaris through eBay, June, '10.
The backwards writing says "Beware that you do not lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Aesop." I am delighted to see how widely Aesop's DS story gets around. I tried seeing if there was an allusion in this evocative drawing to that story, but I think that the artist's intent is to draw attention rather to the play of light and shadow. Good advice, well echoed here!
Original Art Series
I have only one series of original paper art so far, 32 colored woodcuts after watercolors by Henry LeMarié. Access them below:
32 Colored Woodcuts after Henry LeMarié
1996? 32 colored woodcuts after watercolors by Henry LeMarié, engraved by hand by Jean Taricco. Printed on Velin de Rives in the studio of Editions d'Art Les Heures Claires in Paris. Beautifully mounted and presented in two elaborate boxes. Signed in pencil? €450 from Plazzart, Paris, Sept, '20.
I have found LeMarié's miniatures delightful since I first saw them. This set is gorgeously presented. They seem to reproduce the illustrations in LeMarié's edition of 1996, over which I have expressed my delight. I wanted to include LeMarié's "Cobbler and Banker" in the Joslyn exhibit, but the art is too small. As I learn more now, I wonder how this kind of colorful work can be done on woodblocks. How many passes does it take on the poor piece of paper? I see this set of prints as an excellent showpiece for the collection. Jean Taricco engraved some 2200 pieces of wood necessary for the reproduction of the aquarelles of Henry LeMarié. Apparently some 30 colors were applied.
Click on either the group letter or the table of contents to see groups of these imges. Be sure to use the "light-boxes" for each illustration by clicking on each image, especially on the "images only" illustrations. These are miniature images 4¾" by 3¼"!
LeMarie 1-8
LeMarie 9-16
LeMarie 17-24
LeMarie 25-32
LittleMouseCompany
2020? Three small limited edition prints from LittleMouseCompany: LM, “Town Mouse,” and “Country Mouse.” 7” x 5”, including the white frame. Limited edition of 100. Numbered: LM (#14); TM (#8); CM #18). $11.24 each from LittleMouseCompany, Dec., ’20.
How lovely to see artists taking their inspiration from fables! These are sprightly, lively colored prints. My favorite is “Town Mouse,” with the cork popping off of the champagne bottle before the two mice in their high silk hats. CM presents a nicely contrasting picture of dress, surroundings, table cloth, and what is offered for the meal. I am surprised not to find an artist named.
Watercolors
1965? 7 original watercolor paintings of Aesop’s fables by LouLette Sablon (1897-1970), framed and signed. Each 11" x 13". $45 for the lot from Merchant of Denim through Ebay, July, ’21.
It was hard for me to believe that the whole lot of originals was selling for this low price. I find these watercolors lovely! LouLette Sablon was born on July 16, 1897 in France. She was an actress, known for To Catch a Thief (1955), Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). She died on October 21, 1970 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.I bet that she would have said that she was painting not Aesop but La Fontaine.
Wood
1978 Moira Walsh's city and country mice from a Roman Literature course.
1987 Five East German carved foxes, one with a distinctly shorter tail.
1980? East German wood carving of FG. Two exemplars, gifts of Margaret Carlson Lytton and David Daly.
2018 Literary Wall Tile Set: Aesop's Fable: The Lion and the Statue. Each 5½" x 5½". $35 from Literature Lodge, East Taunton, MA through Etsy, August, '18,
Very nice workmanship. Isolating the text and moral in one quadrant is successful here, as is Linton's moral: The story depends on the teller." As the artist's illustration shows, the tiles appear best when given the appropriate small space between their edges. Fables show up in so many places!
2020? Wooden tortoise and hair figures. 3½' x 1¾" (tortoise) and 3¾" x 2¼" (hare). The Wooden Storyteller, Spokane, Washington. Gift of Maureen Hester, Dec., '19.
Beautiful woodworking. Simple figures. Lovely grain. And a great feel in the hand! Aesop lives!
2020? Twelve 1¾” square thin wooden tiles representing each a page from Walter Crane’s book of Aesop’s fables. $10.72 from ShapeShifterUK, London, through Etsy, Jan., ’21.
Delightful, exact woodwork! I think Walter Crane would be delighted to see his work carried on this way! The twelve tiles include the front cover and list of illustrations.
To view the whole set, use this illustration and click on it to enlarge it
To view an individual tile, click on it in this illustration:
