Fables de la Fontaine, Album No. 2

Abstract

This oversized book that staples together twenty posters seems to me to be a poor man's Pellerin. Each Planche is numbered, from 21 through 40. There is a good deal of crayoning evident in the book, on the backs of some pages and even on the front. By comparison with the work of Pellerin and Quantin, the designs are simple, even rudimentary. TB (Planche No 25) presents a scene that could not have happened, with the bear just behind one running man while the other stands nearby and looks on. (A tear in this page has been repaired.) One of the best images is wisely taken for the cover: L'Enfant et le Maitre d'École (Planche No 28). The killing-of-the-chicken scene on the following poster is humorous. It gives Le Chat, le Cochet et le Souriceau (Planche No 30) new meaning to dress the animals up and to give the cat a dish full of bonbons! Another of the book's best images is that of the old cat lying on the top shelf of a cupboard, while rat-children climb up onto the cupboard and an old rat with glasses looks at us and points to what is happening (Planche No 35). A fine addition to L'Ours et l'Amateur des Jardins (Planche No 36) is their formal photograph together! This book is in fair condition at best.