tiny ride

Gift of Elizabeth, Julie, and Catherine Andrus in memory of John and Marion Andrus
collections.artsmia.org (PD)
Which Aesop's Fable is this?  I thought I knew/could find every one, but I don't know yet which improving tale belongs to this "Horse with Two Monkeys and a Dog." The Flemish engraver Nicolaes de Bruyn created this scene in 1594 as an illustration to a book of fables.  It's another tiny artwork:  1 5/16" x 2 3/8", and yet full of action.  Every player seems to be mugging for the spectator, particularly the monkey in the upper right and the horse. If you have a hard time looking at it on this page, try this link to its page at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

the mimic dog

Image
public domain This is a "Mimick, or Gethulian-Dog," as recorded by Edward Topsell in his natural history of c. 1600.  It's described as "being apt to imitate all things it seeth, for which cause some have thought that it was conceived by an Ape; but in face sharpe and black like a Hedge-hog, having a short recurved body; very long legs, shaggie hair, and a short tail..."  Apparently in ancient Egypt this sort of dog was taught all manner of tricks.  Whatever breed could this have been? Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?.  The History of Four-footed Beasts And Serpents...  The whole rev., cor. and inl. with the addition of two useful physical tables, by J[ohn] R[owland] M.D. London: Printed by E. Cotes, for G. Sawbridge [etc.], 1658. p. 127.
Read more

let's dance

Image
found at http://discardingimages.tumblr.com Start your Sunday with this trio of performers and their lovely lightness of foot and paw.  Here's a closeup: This scene is found in the manuscript known as "The Maastricht Hours" on folio 112.  Here's the whole page .  You might also enjoy this blog post on " Medieval Dog Tricks " - I did.
Read more

"the manx cat"

Image
thanks british library flickr From a slim volume of verse privately printed in 1910: (You know what's coming, right?  Bad poetry! ) THE MANX CAT by Marjorie Dyrenforth Poor tailless pussy cat! if I Were only very rich, The very first thing I would buy Would be for you a switch; And where your tail should grow, I'd try The little switch to hitch — oh, my! But what a pretty pussy cat You'd be if I could just do that! -- Dyrenforth, Marjorie. Verses. Chicago, 1910. p. 59.
Read more