The Fable of the Miller, His Son, and the Donkey No. 5

Art Historical Context

Elihu Vedder’s small-on-canvas painting, around 1867–, forms the fifth scene in a series illustrating Aesop’s well-known fable of miller, his son and their donkey. In the tale, the pair set out for market and receive conflicting advice from passersby about whether they should ride or walk the animal; their attempts to please everyone end in disaster. Measuring just 6½ by 10¾ inches, the intimate scale of this work encourages close looking at Vedder’s narrative details of men and donkeys. An American artist who spent much of his career in Italy, Vedder was known for imaginative, literary subjects that blended precise draftsmanship with symbolic overtones. This early series reflects his interest in moral storytelling through sequential images, a format well suited to the modest size of the canvas. The painting now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing, a gift that allows visitors to encounter a lesser-known but characteristic example of 19th-century American narrative art.

About the Artist

Elihu Vedder · 1836–1923

Elihu Vedder was born on February 26, 1836, in New York City to Dr. Elihu Vedder Sr., a dentist, and his cousin Elizabeth Vedder. As a young boy, his family relocated to Cuba for his father's ventures, an experience that sparked his artistic aspirations amid the Caribbean landscapes. He later divided his time between a boarding school and his maternal grandfather Alexander Vedder's home in Schenec...