"The Sloth yawned: 'I had...waited'" from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals 1832 - 1852

This lithograph, made by J.J. Grandville, presents a scene of anthropomorphic animals, rich with social critique. The sloth, lounging indolently in a chair, embodies a specific kind of lethargy. Consider the yawn, here a symbol of ennui, of having waited, the French word, attendu, suggesting anticipation but also stagnation. The yawn itself is an ancient motif; consider its appearance in medieval depictions of the devil, a sign of spiritual vacuity and decay. Here, it echoes across centuries, repurposed in a critique of bourgeois indolence. Grandville engages our subconscious through the use of animal allegory, inviting us to confront uncomfortable truths about human behavior. The emotional weight of the image lies in its sly exposure of societal failings, compelling us to reflect on our own participation in a world ripe with both expectation and disappointment. And so the symbol of the yawn circles back, ever present, a reminder of time's relentless march and our constant negotiation with its passage.