The Wolf and the Lamb (La Fontaine fable)
early 19th century
Medium
Cotton
Dimensions
L. 77 1/2 x W. 43 1/4 inches 196.9 x 109.9 cm
Classification
Textiles-Printed
Culture
French, Jouy-en-Josas
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mildred R. Mottahedeh, 1984
Accession Number
1984.465.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
This printed cotton panel, created in the early 19th century by Jean-Baptiste Huet I, brings to life Jean de La Fontaine’s famous fable “The Wolf and the Lamb.” Produced in the renowned textile center of Jouy-en-Josas, France, the work belongs to the celebrated tradition of toiles de Jouy—narrative fabrics that adorned homes across Europe and America. Huet, a leading designer for the Oberkampf manufactory, specialized in lively scenes that combined storytelling with elegant ornament, here featuring animals and a coat of arms that add both moral and heraldic interest. Printed cotton offered an...