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Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Le Berger et le Roi, by Jean Michel Moreau del. or Moreau le jeune.
Simonet ainé sculp., 19th century etching 24 x 31 framed , artist: Ainé Simonet
History:
This image shows an authentic 19th-century French engraving illustrating one of the most famous literary works in French history: Jean de La Fontaine's Fables. Here is the breakdown of the artwork's history, context, and the artists involved: 1. The Subject: "Le Berger et le Roi" (The Shepherd and the King) The text at the bottom, "LE BERGER ET LE ROI," refers to Book X, Fable 9 of La Fontaine's Fables (first published in the late 17th century). ● The Story: A king notices a highly intelligent and honest shepherd and decides to make him his chief minister. The shepherd manages the kingdom brilliantly, drawing the jealousy of corrupt courtiers. The courtiers falsely accuse the former shepherd of stealing from the crown, claiming he hides treasures in a locked chest. ● The Scene Depicted: The engraving captures the exact climax of the fable. The King and his suspicious courtiers confront the shepherd and demand he open his mysterious chest. Instead of gold or jewels, the chest contains only his old shepherd's tools—his staff, cloak, and wooden pipe (musette). The shepherd proves his incorruptibility, rejects the politics of the court, and asks to return to his peaceful life tending sheep. 2. The Creators If you look closely at the bottom border of the print, you can see the signatures of two prominent French artists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries: ● Left Side: Moreau del. * "Del." is short for delineavit (Latin for "he drew it"). This indicates that the original design and illustration were drawn by Jean-Michel Moreau (known as Moreau le Jeune, 1741–1814). He was one of the most celebrated French illustrators and draftsmen of the Enlightenment, famous for capturing the fashion, manners, and literature of his era. ● Right Side: Simonet aîné sculp. ○ "Sculp." is short for sculpsit (Latin for "he engraved/carved it"). This indicates the print was physically engraved onto a copper matrix by Jean-Baptiste-Blaise Simonet (known as Simonet aîné, 1742–1813), a highly skilled master engraver who frequently collaborated with Moreau. 3. Context & Age This print is from a celebrated luxury edition of La Fontaine's works published around the early 1800s (circa 1808–1814), a period spanning the end of the First French Empire and the Restorations. Volumes of this caliber featured individual, full-page copper plate engravings intercalated next to the text. Over the decades, many of these antique volumes were unstitched or "broken" by art dealers so that the beautiful, standalone plates could be sold individually for framing—which is exactly how this piece came to be preserved in its frame today
Le Berger et le Roi, by Jean Michel Moreau del. or Moreau le jeune.
Simonet ainé sculp., 19th century etching 24 x 31 framed , artist: Ainé Simonet
History:
This image shows an authentic 19th-century French engraving illustrating one of the most famous literary works in French history: Jean de La Fontaine's Fables. Here is the breakdown of the artwork's history, context, and the artists involved: 1. The Subject: "Le Berger et le Roi" (The Shepherd and the King) The text at the bottom, "LE BERGER ET LE ROI," refers to Book X, Fable 9 of La Fontaine's Fables (first published in the late 17th century). ● The Story: A king notices a highly intelligent and honest shepherd and decides to make him his chief minister. The shepherd manages the kingdom brilliantly, drawing the jealousy of corrupt courtiers. The courtiers falsely accuse the former shepherd of stealing from the crown, claiming he hides treasures in a locked chest. ● The Scene Depicted: The engraving captures the exact climax of the fable. The King and his suspicious courtiers confront the shepherd and demand he open his mysterious chest. Instead of gold or jewels, the chest contains only his old shepherd's tools—his staff, cloak, and wooden pipe (musette). The shepherd proves his incorruptibility, rejects the politics of the court, and asks to return to his peaceful life tending sheep. 2. The Creators If you look closely at the bottom border of the print, you can see the signatures of two prominent French artists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries: ● Left Side: Moreau del. * "Del." is short for delineavit (Latin for "he drew it"). This indicates that the original design and illustration were drawn by Jean-Michel Moreau (known as Moreau le Jeune, 1741–1814). He was one of the most celebrated French illustrators and draftsmen of the Enlightenment, famous for capturing the fashion, manners, and literature of his era. ● Right Side: Simonet aîné sculp. ○ "Sculp." is short for sculpsit (Latin for "he engraved/carved it"). This indicates the print was physically engraved onto a copper matrix by Jean-Baptiste-Blaise Simonet (known as Simonet aîné, 1742–1813), a highly skilled master engraver who frequently collaborated with Moreau. 3. Context & Age This print is from a celebrated luxury edition of La Fontaine's works published around the early 1800s (circa 1808–1814), a period spanning the end of the First French Empire and the Restorations. Volumes of this caliber featured individual, full-page copper plate engravings intercalated next to the text. Over the decades, many of these antique volumes were unstitched or "broken" by art dealers so that the beautiful, standalone plates could be sold individually for framing—which is exactly how this piece came to be preserved in its frame today