1835
(French, 1803-1847)
Pen and black ink with watercolor
Support: Beige wove paper
Sheet: 12.5 x 21.3 cm (4 15/16 x 8 3/8 in.)
Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2008.345
J.-J. Grandville became best known for fantastical drawings like this one, in which insects act like humans. Here, smaller creatures above use flowers or leaves as musical instruments, and their larger counterparts below dance a galop. An Insect Ball was one of more than 50 drawings that the artist made for wood-engraved reproduction in Le Magasin pittoresque (The Picturesque Store), a popular encyclopedic review edited by Grandville's friend Edouard Charton. In text printed below the wood-engraved version of An Insect Ball, Grandville explained that his aim was to show insects with the same humorous personalities seen at any human ball, while also rendering their forms with scientific accuracy.
The information about this object, including provenance information, is based on historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on objects is an ongoing process, but the information about this object may not reflect the most current information available to CMA. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
Request a digital file from Image Services that is not available through CC0, a detail image, or any image with a color bar. If you have questions about requesting an image, please email imageservices@clevelandart.org.