"At this frightful story, Zemire throws himself at Azor's feet" from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals

Art Historical Context

In the whimsical world of 19th French satire, "At this frightful story Zemire throws himself ator's feet" captures a dramatic moment from *Scenes from the Private and Life of Animals* (ca. 1842), a celebrated collaborative book blending text by Honoré de Balzac with illustrations by J.J. Grandville. This wood engraving, measuring 10 3/8 × 7 3/16 inches, draws from the fairy tale *Zémire et Azor*—a French variant of *Beauty and the Beast*—reimagined with anthropomorphic animals to poke fun at human follies, social hierarchies, and romantic entanglements. Grandville, a master of caricature and fantasy, excels here in wood engraving, a technique that allowed precise, reproducible details for mass-printed books during the July Monarchy era. His style animates animals in human attire and poses, exaggerating expressions to heighten the comedy and critique bourgeois life. Balzac's narrative adds literary depth, transforming a tale of peril and redemption into a sly commentary on emotion and power dynamics. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this print exemplifies the era's lithic and engraving boom, making high art accessible. Visitors delight in its blend of tenderness and terror—Zemire's desperate plea at Azor's feet—inviting reflection on how animals mirror our own dramatic lives.

About the Artist

Honoré de Balzac|J. J. Grandville (French|French) · 1799 |1803 –1850 |1847

French, Tours 1799–1850 Paris|French, Nancy 1803–1847 Vanves