Fabel van de raaf en de vos 1830

This small print, "Fable of the Raven and the Fox" by Eugène Verboeckhoven, captures a moment of cunning and folly in delicate lines. Executed with ink on paper, the image presents a balanced composition where the landscape frames a raven perched in a tree with cheese in its beak, and a fox gazing up with desire. The meticulous detailing in the tree’s bark and the fox’s fur, achieved through fine hatching, showcases the artist's technical skill and precision. Notice how Verboeckhoven uses light and shadow to model the figures, giving them a sculptural presence within the flat plane of the print. The fable itself is a lesson in flattery and deception, mirroring the print’s structured artifice. Here, form serves narrative, and the visual elements work together to construct a commentary on human foibles. This small work is a study in how artistic technique can bring allegorical narratives to life.