"The author of this attack is a delicate little wolf" from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals 1832 - 1852

Editor: This is a fascinating lithograph! It's titled "The author of this attack is a delicate little wolf," and it comes from a series called "Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals" by J.J. Grandville, dating from the mid-19th century. I’m immediately struck by the kind of dark humor and anthropomorphic figures… it’s almost unsettling. What’s your take on this work? Curator: Ah, Grandville! A wonderfully peculiar mind. I see here a commentary, sharp and pointed, on society disguised as a fable. Look how he deftly uses animals – the wolf, of course, front and center – to represent human foibles. Do you notice the limp body of the lamb at the foreground? Editor: Yes, it creates a really somber note contrasting the somewhat silly figures. The lamb almost looks like a casualty of drunken brawling. Curator: Precisely! Perhaps it's representative of innocence destroyed by a "delicate little wolf" – a sarcastic jab, I imagine, at those who mask cruelty with refinement. I wonder what power structures he's alluding to. What do you imagine Grandville’s saying about power here? Editor: I'm thinking he's commenting on how those in power can be quite genteel in public, but in private they can behave terribly without facing repercussions. Curator: Exactly. Notice the setting, too, almost a stage. Everything seems artificial, heightened, dramatic – amplifying the satirical edge. Even the fact it is a lithograph made it accessible and would spread the satirical word further, don’t you think? Editor: Definitely! So, this isn’t just a funny picture of animals; it’s social critique delivered with wit. It certainly hits differently now knowing more about the message behind it! Curator: Absolutely. The laughter it evokes has a sting to it, prompting us to reflect on the 'animalistic' aspects of our own human behaviors and societal structures. Makes you wonder what's really hiding under the surface, doesn’t it?