Author(s):
grandville (nancy, 15–09–1803 - vanves, 17–03–1847), designer
other title: the metamorphoses of the day (title of the series)
production date: between 1828 and 1829
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print
name(s): print
materials and techniques: lithography
dimensions - artwork:
height: 27. 2cm
width: 36. 5cm
dimensions - image:
height: 15. 8cm
width: 21cm
dimensions - mounting:
height: 50cm
width: 40cm
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
signature - j. Granville
registration - the metamorphoses of the day n°14
inscription - lith. By langlumé
letter - misery, hypocrisy, covetousness. Misery, hypocrisy, convetouness
registration - at bulla, rue st jacques n°38, and at martinet, rue du coq. Iconographic description:
five men with animal heads stand in a room during a wake. In the center of the scene, the rat-headed deceased is lying in a bed with his hands clasped. At her bedside, a man with the head of a cat pretends to wipe his tears with a handkerchief. We see rat poison in his pocket. To the right of the stage, stand three men with raven heads: a priest reading the bible, a beadle and a swiss. Excerpt from métamorphoses du jour (editions gustave havard libraire, paris, 1854): "the eternal antithesis of human life summed up in this painting, a group where the unfortunate who has just expired is only mourned by the bitter enemy of his life, and whose mortal remains are awaited by the sinister birds attracted by the smell of corpses [. . . ] the dying man [. . . ] had seen his neighbor come running from the gutters at the first sound of his illness, and this eager assistance at this extreme moment had indeed seemed somewhat suspicious to the victim [. . . ] on the table there was this empty bottle, the inscription of which said clearly what it contained. Themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, raven, cat, vigil, rat, death, priest, assassination, mourning
mode of acquisition: purchase
date of acquisition: 21–02–1986
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal 925(q). Date: Entre 1828 et 1829.
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