The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

Sketch for "The Wolf Turned Shepherd" (recto)

c. 1868

Gustave Doré

(French, 1832–1883)
France, 19th century
graphite
Sheet: 30.1 x 22.2 cm (11 7/8 x 8 3/4 in.)
Gift of Leo Weidenthal 1956.37.a
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.
  • estate of the artist (Lugt Suppl. 681a, lower right, in red ink)
  • CMA, Rococo, Revolution, Restoration (July 11-Sep. 24, 1989)--[(?): did this drawing appear in show or not?: exh. files contain two label listings for the exh., only one of which seems to include this drawing].
  • {{cite web|title=Sketch for "The Wolf Turned Shepherd" (recto)|url=false|author=Gustave Doré|year=c. 1868|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1956.37.a