Original Art

2012 Two original art works by Zsofia Szeleczky. 7.5" square. .5" thick. Budapest: Hungary. Unknown source. FC emphasizes the fox by giving him a color of his own. The only other color not black or white is the cheese. Szeleczky again has fun with the scene by adding leaves, sprouts, musical notes, and three pairs of (young fox?) eyes in the left tree. FS has a number of engaging features. Note the swirling black and white in both trees and both tree stumps. Do not miss the elongated legs of the stork, the little fish inside the bases, the owl in the tree, or the steam arising from the frustrated fox. His angry stare is expressive! Well done, Zsofia!

2000 Chalk Drawing of "The Fox and the Mask." Megan Douglas for English 120 at Creighton University, Fall, '00. Here is a wonderfully sensitive study of forms. Is that the fox's tail that sweeps around the right side of the mask? The fox seems appropriately unimpressed!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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 A beautiful ink drawing on fine paper featuring the fox and the crow, who are the main characters of Jean de la Fontaine’s fable, Le Renard et le Corbeau. The expressions on the faces of the fox and the crow accurately depict the emotions of the story. 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.

2000? Framed FG original painting. Kai. 296/500. 4" square. Gift of Margaret Carlson Lytton from the Libreary of Congress Gift Shop. Beautiful, delicate work! The image is about 1.5" square. This fox seems quite self-possessed. And those grapes seem so close! Is this the same Kai that is on Etsy and Markowicz these days? I am disappointed that, although there were 500 copies of this work, none of the others show up on the web.

2000? Lion and Mouse. Oil painting on canvas by Yarilis Qung (?). 8" x 10". $10 on Ebay, March, '15? I have had and admired this lively piece of art for some time -- for so long a time that I am completely unaware of where I received it. The signature on the back of the canvas may be Yarilis Qung. The image wraps around onto each of the sides. And the artifact is put together with great solidity. I apologize, O artist, for not cataloguing this lively piece sooner and more accurately!

1988 Slide scenes of lion and mouse, put in glass by Bob Engel. Slides from Rummage-o-rama for $.25.

2024 Cotton runner with stitched TH title and characters. 18" square. Prize in a trivial-pursuit faculty contest sponsored by Reinert Alumni Library, April, '24. Here is another surprise addition to the collection. Once it was offered as a prize, I worked hard to win the competition! Then I was told that it was stitched over lunch the day of the contest. Wow! Another unexpected appearance of Aesop!

1975? Ceramic FG matted and framed, signed "Bellardo." Presumably by Paul Bellardo. Image 12.75" x 6". Overall 10.5" x 17.5". Unknown source. This is a lovely and impressive piece. We are still not sure of its material. Splendid use of color. Of the many unidentified-source objects in our collection, this is one whose provenance I would love especially to discover.