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Grandville was known for the many illustrations he contributed to books and periodicals, often in a creative, fantastic style. This drawing relates to an image that appeared in an 1835 edition of the popular songwriter Pierre Jean de Béranger’s complete works. It accompanied the lyrics to a macabre song entitled <em>Les Reliques</em>, written in the voice of the skeleton who appears in the image.

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Details

  • Title: The Relics
  • Creator: Jean-Jacques Grandville (French, 1803-1847)
  • Date Created: c. 1835
  • Physical Dimensions: Sheet: 11.8 x 9.4 cm (4 5/8 x 3 11/16 in.); Mounted: 20.6 x 16.5 cm (8 1/8 x 6 1/2 in.)
  • Provenance: Shepherd Gallery, New York, NY, Mr. Noah L. Butkin [1918-1980], Mrs. Muriel Butkin [1915-2008], the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Drawing
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2018.1065
  • Medium: pen and brown ink, brown ink wash, heightened with white and red-orange gouache with scoring on wove paper
  • Inscriptions: Verso, of original backing, at center, in black ink: “Les Reliques / Dessin original de / J.J. Grandville / (1803 – 1847)”, at left center, in pencil: “53”
  • Fun Fact: This drawing illustrated <em>Les Reliques</em>, a song written in the voice of the skeleton seen in the image.
  • Department: Drawings
  • Culture: France, 19th century
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Muriel Butkin
  • Collection: DR - French
  • Accession Number: 2018.1065

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