Book 5, Fable 14: the present and the future (Le present et l'avenir)

Art Historical Context

**Book 5, Fable 14: The Present and the Future (Le et l'avenir)** Nicolas Henry Tardieu after Charles Antoine Coypel, with text by Jean de La Fontaine, 1719* Etching and engraving; Sheet (trimmed): 3 1/8 × 3 13/16 in. (8 × 9.7 cm) This delicate print captures a moment from Jean de La's beloved *Fables*, specifically Book 5, Fable 14, which explores the tension between immediate joys and uncertain tomorrows. La Fontaine, the 17-century French master of moral tales, drew from Aesop to craft witty animal stories that critiqued human folly during Louis XIV's opulent reign. By 1719, under the Regency's lighter cultural air, these fables enjoyed renewed popularity through lavish illustrated editions. Charles Antoine Coypel, a leading Rococo painter and son of court artist Noël Coypel, designed the vivid scene, likely depicting fable characters in expressive, theatrical poses that blend Baroque grandeur with emerging playfulness. Master engraver Nicolas Henry Tardieu then translated it into etching and engraving—a meticulous technique combining bitten acid lines for texture and fine burin work for precision. This allowed affordable dissemination of high art, making La Fontaine's wisdom accessible to a wide audience. (Lamotte-Houdar may refer to collaborative textual or design contributions.) At just over three inches tall, this intimate gem from The Met's Rogers Fund highlights printmaking's role in democratizing literature and art in 18th-century France, inviting us to ponder: savor the now, or chase shadows ahead?

About the Artist

Nicolas Henry Tardieu|Lamotte-Houdar|Jean de La Fontaine|Charles Antoine Coypel (French|French) · 1674 |1684 –1749 |1721

French, Paris 1674–1749 Paris|French, Valenciennes 1684–1721 Nogent-sur-Marne