An Insect Ball
1835
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1835
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
An Insect Ball is a 1835 by Jean-Jacques Grandville, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows bugs in fancy clothes dancing at a ball. They wear tiny coats and hats like people from the 1800s. Their wings fold like dresses. Grandville made these drawings to poke fun at human behavior. He hid sharp jokes in cute costumes. The tiny details make it feel real and silly at once. Check out more by Grandville at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
J. J. Grandville carefully drew this group of insects dancing and playing musical instruments so that they are both true to nature and a satirical representation of contemporary society. They stand on their hind legs, and their closed wings echo the silhouettes of the dresses and coats common in 1800s fashion. One of the best-known illustrators from the early 1800s, Grandville was recognized for his fantastical illustrations, often featuring animals acting like humans. This design is one of more than 50 illustrations he published in the periodical Le Magasin pittoresque (The Picturesque…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jean-Jacques Grandville (1803–1847) was a French artist.
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