"As soon as I set foot on the island..." from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals

Q: When was ""As soon as I set foot on the island..." from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals" created?

This artwork was created ca. 1837–47.

Q: Is ""As soon as I set foot on the island..." from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals" in the public domain?

Yes, "As soon as I set foot on the island..." from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Honoré de Balzac|J. J. Grandville

ca. 1837–47

Medium

Wood engraving

Dimensions

Sheet: 10 5/16 × 7 3/16 in. (26.2 × 18.3 cm)

Classification

Prints

Department

Drawings and Prints

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959

Accession Number

59.500.592(40)

Art Historical Context

Step into the whimsical world of 19th French satire with *"As soon as I set on the island..."*, wood engraving from J.J. Grandville's *Scenes from the Private and Public Life Animals* (ca. 1837–47), text by Honoré de Balzac. Grandville, a master caricaturist, collaborated with literary giants like Balzac to create anthology, which anthropomorphizes animals to lampoon human foibles in politics, society, and daily life. Published during France's July Monarchy, the series captured the era's social commentary through fantastical vignettes, blending humor with sharp critique. This intimate sheet (...

About the Artist

Honoré de Balzac|J. J. Grandville (French|French) · 1799 |1803 –1850 |1847

French, Tours 1799–1850 Paris|French, Nancy 1803–1847 Vanves

"As soon as I set foot on the island..." from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals

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