"The occupations of my contemplative life were very simple " from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals 1832 - 1852

"The occupations of my contemplative life were very simple" is an undated lithograph by J. J. Grandville, part of his "Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals." Grandville was a French caricaturist whose work often used anthropomorphism to satirize political and social issues. This piece reflects the cultural climate of 19th-century France, a time marked by political upheaval, social change, and growing industrialization. In this image, a solitary figure with animalistic features sits pensively on a craggy outcrop, a book lying open beside him. He is dressed in the attire of a bourgeois gentleman. Grandville's choice to depict animals in human-like situations allows for a critique of human behavior and society. What does it mean to turn away from society? To embrace solitude and contemplation? The artist encourages us to reflect on the tension between our public and private selves, and the ways in which we seek meaning and purpose in a rapidly changing world.