Aux Deux Passages · Carlson Fable Collection

Title: Aux Deux Passages
Description: 1895? 2 full-color cards illustrating La Fontaine's GA with human figures as actors. Just over 2 ½" by 4 1/8". Both backs are blank. 80 Francs each from Annick Tilly, Clignancourt, August, '01.

The texts do not follow La Fontaine exactly. This is the first time, I believe, that I have seen the ant dance in any form. The "Aux Deux Passages" is in Lyon and sells "nouveautés." Though I presume that there are six or seven cards in the set, these two complement each other nicely. In the first scene, the cicada approaches the ant; in the second scene, the ant dismisses the cicada. The artist here works with a very traditional approach to the fable: young woman visits matron. I find the artistry very good. The folds of the "cicada" skirt in the first picture, and the vigor of the dance (and the rejection) is telling in the second.

Now, in late 2008, I discover that these two pictures are identical with the last two in Liebig's 1892 "Grille und Ameise" series. My comments turned out to be right on the mark, and the dating seems quite close too!
Date: 1895?
Source: 80 Francs each from Annick Tilly, Clignancourt, August, '01.
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See all items with this value; Aux Deux Passages
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