Sketch for "The Wolf Turned Shepherd" (recto)

c. 1868

Gustave Doré

(French, 1832–1883)

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Culture

France, 19th century

Medium

graphite

Support

Beige(1) wove paper

Measurements

Sheet: 30.1 x 22.2 cm (11 7/8 x 8 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Leo Weidenthal 1956.37.a

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Location

Not on view

Description

“The Wolf Turned Shepherd” is a fable in which a disguised wolf approaches a flock of sheep while their shepherd sleeps. The wolf is ultimately discovered while impersonating the shepherd, waking the flock’s caretaker with its howl. Gustave Doré’s early sketch focuses on the wolf’s piercing gaze, highlighting his cleverness and overconfidence. Doré was among the most successful and versatile illustrators of the mid-1800s, and his illustrations for The Fables of La Fontaine—to which the final version of this drawing belongs—contributed to his fame. First published in France in 1867, the book was soon reissued in other countries.