Print of “La Cigale” by E(mile) Metzmacher · Carlson Fable Collection

Title: Print of “La Cigale” by E(mile) Metzmacher
Description: 1920? Print of “La Cigale” by E(mile) Metzmacher, painted in 1886. With slipsheet offering “La Cigale” by Marton. $30 from pdiddyt through Ebay, Jan., ’26.

This piece touches on some unusual history. I had acquitted two prints of Metzmacher’s “The Grasshopper and the Ant,” in black and white. Researching the original, I was surprised to learn that Metzmacher has done a colored oil painting rather similar but featuring only one person instead of two. I was happy to purchase a copy. We have that copy, and it quotes a poem “Cigale,” which is a poem about returning home after a tragic betrayal. As far as I can tell, this grasshopper has nothing to do with a fable. I did my own lamenting, but checked again, and several responsible sources on the web immediately relate this painting to La Fontaine’s fable. Maybe I can add to the next researcher’s surprise and discovery!
Date: 1920?
Source: $30 from pdiddyt through Ebay, Jan., ’26.
Subject: Printed Materials See all items with this value; Prints See all items with this value; Metzmacher GA Print See all items with this value; The Grasshopper and the Ant See all items with this value