Jean Ignance Isidore Grandville drawings

Content Description

This collection contains ten drawings by Jean Ignace Isidore Grandville. Grandville (1803–1847) was a French illustrator, printmaker, painter, and caricaturist. The nine drawings are done in pencil and ink pen and are uncolored. The majority of the drawings are undated, but the dated examples provide a range of 1835 to 1842. Each drawing is matted on a grey or blue sheet with a gilt gold border with “J.J. Grandville” printed on a center mount. Many of the drawings feature French captions written by Grandville to accompany the work. The nine included drawings are: Louis-Philippe and his three sons watching the courtiers’ ballet, undated, annotated “Suivant qu’on l’...” at lower right; Cornelius with his hands in his pockets walking in a busy street, dated 1842, annotated “Faire les...de la tête...” at upper right; Homeopathic medicine, signed and dated 1835 at lower left, titled “Médecin homéopathique / la première prise à 5 h ce matin, prescriptions Hahnemann” at top, captioned “Dis donc ma femme, je crois que l’homéopathique s’en fiche d’moi avec sa subdivision de millième et ses grains” at bottom; Gulliver and a Lilliputian, dated 1838; The Field Marshal Tanpanowich, dedicated “À Geny” at top, captioned “Le feld-maréchal Tapanowich, il m’honorait de poignées de mains à la Tartare” at bottom; [montage of two drawings], Femmes et fumeur, reprise des figures dans le bas / Lettres à répondre, first dedicated “Pour M. Barbant” at top, first annotated “un peu relever les deux femmes” at lower right, second annotated “reporter l’avant-bras près du corps et raccourcir le coude” at lower center; The Blessing of the Bride and Groom, signed at lower left, undated; [montage of three drawings], a mole; a caricature of a man; a study sheet with two portraits of a man, dated 1839 at top left. Born in Nancy, France, Grandville gained prominence in Paris during the July Monarchy for his politically charged lithographs and fantastical imagery. He was renowned for his imaginative and satirical drawings that blended human and animal forms. His work appeared in influential publications such as La Caricature and Le Charivari, and he is best known for illustrated volumes including Les Métamorphoses du jour (1829), Un autre monde (1844), and his contributions to editions of La Fontaine’s Fables and Gulliver’s Travels. Grandville’s art is distinguished by its surreal detail, allegorical complexity, and critique of bourgeois society.

Acquisition Type

Gift

Provenance

Gift of Josephine Lea Iselin, 16 September 2025. Given in honor of John Unsworth on his retirement as University Librarian.

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

No

Use Restrictions

The Library believes that all or nearly all material in this collection is likely to be in the public domain, free of copyright restrictions. Visit our Permissions and Publishing page for more information about use of Special Collections materials. The library can provide copyright information upon request, but users are responsible for making their own determination about lawful use of collections materials.