L' ane et les deux voleurs.

Trustman, Benjamin A., Trustman, Julia M. · 1862

While one thief runs away with a stolen donkey, the second thief fights with the donkey's owner. Daumier showed a keen interest in the literary works of La Fontaine, Molière, and Cervantes. The print shown here refers to the fable "The Donkey And The Two Thieves" by La Fontaine. The plan to illustrate all of La Fontaine's fables (like Doré) unfortunately was never realized. The print shown here is of special importance because there exists a similar oil painting shown in the Louvre in Paris (K.E.M. 1, nr 116). The lithographic stone of this print is today at The Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The print in the 4th state has been printed from a beige clay plate in an edition of 75 prints only. It is the only lithograph done after one of Dumier's paintings. Note that in 1858 Daumier did a painting, now in the Louvre, which can be seen under DR 7116. LA FONTAINE, Jean de (1621-1695) Poet and inventor of fables. There existed a plan in 1855 for a new edition of La Fontaine’s fables with illustrations by various artists, including Daumier. Unfortunately the idea was never realized. For each of the lithographic stones which Daumier delivered to Carjat for publication in the BOULEVARD, he received the amount of 50 Francs. All these scenes were considered outstanding pieces of art and were immediately reprinted with a wide margin on heavy white paper in the album SOUVENIRS D’ARTISTES. The Album included also DR 3253 (not part of the BOULEVARD edition). Some rare impressions on “Chine appliqué” were set aside for selected collectors.