The Wolf and the Stork
Print
1927 (commissioned), 1927-1930 (proofed), 1952 (printed and published)
1927 (commissioned), 1927-1930 (proofed), 1952 (printed and published)
| Artist/Maker |
In much of his work Chagall (1887-1985) reveals his fascination with myths and folklore. This suite of prints was commissioned by one of the most far-sighted and original publishers of the 20th century, Ambroise Vollard. He recognised that Chagall's imagination would perfectly match the fables of the 17th-century French writer Jean de La Fontaine, which were in fact a retelling of Aesop. In this tale, the wolf persuades the stork to remove with his long bill a bone stuck in the wolf's throat. The stork then asks for his promised reward. The wolf simply laughs, telling the stork he should be grateful he was not eaten when he stuck his head down a wolf's throat. Aesop's moral was that in serving the wicked, expect no reward; and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Etching and drypoint on paper |
| Brief description | 'Le Loup et la Cigogne [The Wolf and the Stork]'. Illustration to Aesop's Fables by Marc Chagall. 1952; chagall- |
| Physical description | print on paper |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Limited edition |
| Copy number | From the suite of 100 illustrations to Les Fables de La Fontaine |
| Marks and inscriptions | Chagall (1) Signature) |
| Production | Vollard commissioned the suite of illustrations in 1927. Chagall had completed all the plates by 1930 and they were proofed by Maurice Potin, but Vollard never published them and they were still among his stock at the time of his death in 1939. They were rescued by Tériade who had them printed at the Imprimerie Nationale, under Raymond Blanchot, and published in 1952 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Literary references |
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| Summary | In much of his work Chagall (1887-1985) reveals his fascination with myths and folklore. This suite of prints was commissioned by one of the most far-sighted and original publishers of the 20th century, Ambroise Vollard. He recognised that Chagall's imagination would perfectly match the fables of the 17th-century French writer Jean de La Fontaine, which were in fact a retelling of Aesop. In this tale, the wolf persuades the stork to remove with his long bill a bone stuck in the wolf's throat. The stork then asks for his promised reward. The wolf simply laughs, telling the stork he should be grateful he was not eaten when he stuck his head down a wolf's throat. Aesop's moral was that in serving the wicked, expect no reward; and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.79-1960 |
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| Record created | December 2, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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