Who painted The Ailing Cricket?

The Ailing Cricket was painted by Jean-Ignace-Isidore Grandville in 1829.

Where can I see The Ailing Cricket?

The Ailing Cricket is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Ailing Cricket?

The Ailing Cricket is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

The Ailing Cricket

Jean-Ignace-Isidore Grandville , 1829

The Ailing Cricket is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Jean-Ignace-Isidore Grandville. It dates from 1829 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Jean‑Ignace‑Isidore Grandville’s hand‑colored lithograph, The Ailing Cricket, was produced in 1829. Executed on wove paper, the print measures a modest size typical of early nineteenth‑century commercial lithography and presents a satirical domestic scene rendered in vivid, applied colour.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a gentleman in a top hat gesturing toward a bedridden figure draped in blankets, whose pallid, green‑tinged complexion suggests illness.

The composition depicts a gentleman in a top hat gesturing toward a bedridden figure draped in blankets, whose pallid, green‑tinged complexion suggests illness. A physician in a long coat leans in to listen, while a bottle of medicine and a cane lie nearby. The French caption, styled as a medical note, underlines the work’s humorous commentary on the treatment of frail or insignificant beings, hinted at by the title’s reference to a “cricket.”

Technique & Style

Grandville employed the lithographic process, drawing directly onto a limestone plate with greasy medium before printing on wove paper. After the black‑and‑white impression, the image was hand‑colored with water‑based pigments, a common practice that allowed for bright, individualized tones. The line work combines precise detailing with exaggerated caricature, characteristic of Grandville’s satirical visual language.

History & Provenance

The print emerged during a prolific period for Grandville, who was renowned for his illustrated books and prints in post‑Napoleonic France. While specific ownership records are scarce, copies of The Ailing Cricket have appeared in 19th‑century print collections and later in museum holdings that focus on early graphic satire. Its survival in hand‑colored form attests to the durability of the lithographic medium and the continued interest in Grandville’s work.