Creighton University

1930? 7" white plate from Sarreguemines, France. Inside a 1.5" rim there is a rendition of J.J. Grandville's "Le Chien Qui Porte a Son Cou le Diner de Son Maitre." The front carries two inscriptions: "Fables de la Fontaine" and the title. The back has "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Digoin, Sarreguemines, France." $23 from Mary Ellen Kennedy, Larchmont, NY, Feb., '00. One extra exemplar.

As always with Grandville, some of the fun lies in the clothes with which these three dogs are done up. Now I start to ask myself how many plates there are in the set….

1930? 7" white plate from Sarreguemines, France. Inside a 1.5" rim there is a rendition of J.J. Grandville's GA, without the "JJ G." on the ant's grain bag. The front carries two inscriptions: "Fables de la Fontaine" and "La Cigale et la Fourmi." The back has "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Digoin/Sarreguemines/France." $40 from Denise Blin, Gurnee, IL, through Ebay, March, '99. Extra copy for $33 from Brown Pelican Antiques, Panama City, FL, May, '99. One extra exemplar.

This is a really beautiful little black-and-white plate. It presents Grandville exquisitely!

1930? 7" white plate from Sarreguemines, France. Inside a 1.5" rim there is an adaptation of J.J. Grandville's "The Two Rats and the Egg" (X 1). The front carries two inscriptions: "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Les Deux Rats, le Renard et l'Oeuf." The back has "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Digoin/Sarreguemines/France." $33 from Brown Pelican Antiques, Panama City, FL, May, '99.

This illustration uses Grandville for the basic form of the two rats and the egg, but changes the forest of the book engraving into a bit of vegetation and an opening through which the fox can peer at the scene. The work is not quite as distinct as the GA in the same series.

1930? 7" white plate from Sarreguemines, France. Inside a 1.5" rim there is a portrayal of FC (X 2). The front carries two inscriptions: "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Le Renard et le Corbeau." The back has "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Digoin/Sarreguemines/France." $33 from Brown Pelican Antiques, Panama City, FL, May, '99.

This illustration uses Grandville for the basic form of the raven but the rest of the scene is differently conceived. The briskly walking fox wears a cape and carries a hat.

1930? 7" white plate from Sarreguemines, France. Inside a 1.5" rim there is a portrayal of "The Fox and the Cat." The front carries two inscriptions: "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Le Chat et le Renard." The back has, in sketchy form, "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Digoin/Sarreguemines/France." $23.49 from Lea Belew, Beeville, TX, through Ebay, Oct., '00.

The scene here makes a fascinating contrast with Grandville's original. This scene is busier, filling in all the gaps. That scene left room for picturing in the background the differing escape methods and their results. That is, one can see the cat run up the tree while dogs catch the fox. There is a small nick in the black rim line at about 8 o'clock.

1930? 7" white plate from Sarreguemines, France. Inside a 1.5" rim there is a portrayal of TH. The front carries two inscriptions: "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Le Lievre et la Tortue." The back has, in sketchy form, "Fables de la Fontaine" and "Digoin/Sarreguemines, France." $20 from Dany Wolfs, Roesalare, Belgium, Sept., '00. One extra exemplar.

The conception of the scene here has, by contrast with other plates in the series, nothing to do with Grandville's original. The plate presents a dark and busy scene. The scene itself, and particularly the tortoise are not easy to take in. A mouse perches clumsily at the upper right.