Lilac flower lady (Lila). Grandville Animated Flowers engraving c1902

by Grandville, Jean-Jacques

Lila. Lilac with a Beetle. Grandville flower lady c1902.

Colour-printed engraving highlighted with gum arabic for publication in Spain c1902, from the engraving by Geoffroy after the drawing of French illustrator and caricaturist Jean-Ignace-Isidore Gérard (1803-1847) for Les Fleurs Animées (Animated Flowers), first published in Paris circa 1847.

Known as Jean-Jacques, Grandville was tutored in drawing by his father, miniature-artist Jean-Baptiste Gérard. Jean-Jacques adopted the name 'Grandville' from his father’s actor parents who were known as 'Gérard de Grandville'. Flowers were given human characters, that ranged from charming to gruesome, depending on Grandville's state of mind. Grandville acquired fame by adding animal and bird heads to people's bodies, and as here, by portraying flowers as ladies with personalities. Grandville's flower ladies were so popular, that they were reissued a number of times in the United States, Belgium, Germany and Spain.

This delightful small engraving has been mounted between 'antique white' conservation matt board and covered with cellophane for protection. Window size is 145 x 100mm (approximately 5.3/4 x 4 inches). The external mount size for framing is 27 x 22cm (10.5/8 x 8.5/8 inches).