"The rippling water seems to be mocking our misfortune." from the Little Miseries of Human Life
Medium
Wood engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 11 1/4 × 7 1/2 in. (28.5 × 19 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Yvonne Möen Cumerford, 1965
Accession Number
65.570.61(13)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This 1843 wood engraving, titled “The rippling water seems to be mocking our misfortune,” belongs to the series *Little Miseries of Human Life*. It shows two fishermen gazing in dismay at their tangled lines and the mocking ripples on the water, turning an ordinary outing into a comic mishap. The image gently lampoons the small disappointments that interrupt everyday pleasures. The print reflects the collaborative world of nineteenth-century French illustration. J. J. Grandville supplied the witty imagery, while engravers such as Henri Fournier and Quichon translated his designs into wood eng...
About the Artist
Henri Fournier|Paul-Emile-Daurand Forgues|J. J. Grandville|Quichon (French|French|French) · 1813 | |1803 –1883 | |1847
French, Paris 1813–1883 Cannes| |French, Nancy 1803–1847 Vanves