Latude Making Friends with a Mouse

Jean Henri Latude sought to gain the attentions of Mme de Pompadour, Louis XV's companion, by sending her a poisoned box and then revealing an alleged plot against her. His prank failed and he was imprisoned for many years in the Bastille and Vincennes. While incarcerated, he wrote his memoirs.

Alfred Jacob Miller was a prolific sketcher. He filled many journals with drawings and captions from the time he was studying in Paris and Rome (1833) until the 1870's. The varied interests of Miller are clearly reflected in these sketches: rural sites, studies after Old Master paintings, illustrations of literature, and comical scenes and characters.

This sketch comes from the family album of L. Vernon Miller, which contains works that have passed down through the Miller family directly from the artist.