Artwork

First frontispiece for Fables and Fairy-Tales by Thierry-Faletans

First frontispiece for Fables and Fairy-Tales by Thierry-Faletans is a print by the Impressionist artist Rodolphe Bresdin. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work is a printed frontispiece created in 1868 for the book *Fables and Fairy‑Tales* by Thierry‑Faletans.

About this work

Overview

The work is a printed frontispiece created in 1868 for the book *Fables and Fairy‑Tales* by Thierry‑Faletans. Executed by the French artist Rodolphe Bresdin, the piece is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents a wooded, stony landscape where two figures are engaged in labor. One man leans over a large rock, while his companion stands nearby clutching a bundle of sticks, suggesting a scene of manual work set within a dense, shadowy forest.

Technique & Style

Bresdin employed a rapid, sketch‑like approach, using uneven, ragged lines that convey texture and immediacy. The drawing’s raw quality, achieved through swift, irregular strokes, emphasizes the ruggedness of the terrain and the physicality of the figures.

History & Provenance

Produced as the initial frontispiece for the 1868 edition of the fable collection, the print later entered the holdings of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s print and drawing department.

Context

Bresdin’s work aligns with mid‑nineteenth‑century interests in detailed natural observation and the depiction of everyday labor. The piece reflects the broader realist tendency to portray ordinary subjects with directness and a focus on surface texture.