"... and soon formed a fantastic round" from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals 1832 - 1852

Curator: What a whimsical scene! J.J. Grandville created this drawing, "…and soon formed a fantastic round," sometime between 1832 and 1852. It's currently housed here at the Met. The piece is rendered with ink on paper and is part of a larger series titled "Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals." What's your immediate reaction to it? Editor: Well, immediately I am struck by the almost grotesque caricature, it definitely evokes a sense of unsettling social commentary. Look at those human-like animals…it makes you wonder who they really represent. Curator: Indeed! Grandville was a master of anthropomorphism. These animal figures dancing in a circle—supported, mind you, by dragonflies acting as... well, I suppose as a living chandelier?—speak volumes about social structures and hidden agendas. To me, the work evokes the bittersweet joy of a drunken dream. Editor: Exactly, this isn’t just silly fun; the era of Romanticism was riddled with revolutionary zeal. We see power structures mirrored, with those dragonflies potentially symbolizing an oppressed class literally holding up the elite. I think the way they strain is brilliantly metaphorical. Curator: I adore your perspective. Grandville's skill shines in using absurdity to highlight the serious! I almost missed the straining dragonflies myself because I was too amused by the waltzing fish, frog, and... is that a crayfish in formal wear? Editor: He has the garb, certainly, but I see only disquiet—those gaping mouths and vacant eyes scream commentary on bourgeoise vapidity to me. Grandville offers up this looking-glass where societal foibles and injustices come into stark focus. Curator: It’s truly remarkable how the ink lines dance and create such an odd mix of levity and somber reflection! Perhaps a reminder that, even in the darkest of times, a strange, dark humor might keep us dancing...even if dragonflies are strained by our weight. Editor: Perhaps. Let’s keep marching, and remain alert. Works like Grandville’s "fantastic round" ask us to examine who holds the strings and at whose expense our merriment comes.