The Fox and the Grapes

Ernest Griset

1869

Wood engraving by Pannemaker

8½ x 5½ inches

Illustration for Aesop’s Fables, p.101.

Griset’s cartoon figures are sometimes placed within decorative patterns. In the present design, which shows the fox greedily scrutinizing the unattainable grapes, the artist focuses on the swirling forms of the vegetation, making it seem both a trap and a temptation; significantly, there is a large spider’s web tucked within the tendrils.

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Details

  • Grapes and leaves (upper left)
  • The three foxes

    • Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke.

    [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]