De twee ratten, de vos en het ei 1876 - 1890

Gaston Gélibert made this print, "De twee ratten, de vos en het ei," which translates to "The Two Rats, the Fox, and the Egg" from a fable by La Fontaine. It blends illustration with text. Gélibert made this artwork during an era of immense social change in Europe. This fable offers us a glimpse into 19th-century anxieties about class, power, and survival. The animals embody human characteristics and play out a drama of desire and deception. The rats, scavenging for sustenance, are the underclass, while the fox, cunning and predatory, represents the ruling elite. The egg, a symbol of potential and vulnerability, becomes a contested object in their struggle. Gélibert invites us to reflect on the ethics of survival and the consequences of unchecked ambition. The vulnerability of the egg—a symbol of innocence and potential—in the face of predatory forces evokes a sense of unease, reminding us of the precarity of life. It is a stark reminder of the social inequities and moral compromises that continue to shape our world.