The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 20, 2025
An Insect Ball
1835
Location: Not on view
Description
J. J. Grandville carefully drew this group of insects dancing and playing musical instruments so that they are both true to nature and a satirical representation of contemporary society. They stand on their hind legs, and their closed wings echo the silhouettes of the dresses and coats common in 1800s fashion. One of the best-known illustrators from the early 1800s, Grandville was recognized for his fantastical illustrations, often featuring animals acting like humans. This design is one of more than 50 illustrations he published in the periodical Le Magasin pittoresque (The Picturesque Store).- [Sotheby-Parke-Bernet, London (4 December 1975), no. 390, repr.]. [Paris art market]; [Galerie Arnoldi-Livie, Munich]; purchased in 1977.
- Foster, Carter E., Sylvain Bellenger, and Patrick Shaw Cable. French Master Drawings from the Collection of Muriel Butkin. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 30, p. 70-71
- Fairy Tales and Fables: Illustration and Storytelling in Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 4-September 8, 2024).French Master Drawings from the Collection of Muriel Butkin. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-October 28, 2001); Dahesh Museum of Art (February 19-May 18, 2002).
- {{cite web|title=An Insect Ball|url=false|author=Jean-Jacques Grandville|year=1835|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2008.345