Aesop’s Fables Series
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| Aesop |
One evening my daughter was reading
Aesop's Fables for school. "Daddy, did you know that Aesop's Fables has
lots of stories about Ravens and Crows?" She read me the story of the Crow
and the Pitcher of Water, and I knew what my next series of prints would
be.
These are stories that have
been interpreted visually for over 2000 years; my approach to Aesop's stories
had to be very different than other illustrations. I wanted them to be similar
to my other prints while visualizing the story.
Some of Aesop’s fables seem very brutal to 21st-century sensibilities. I needed to re-write these to retain the original spirit while
smoothing over the rough spots. In this next story, The Stork is actually a wife
batter, he beat her often and accidentally blinded her with his beak. His wife
kicks him out. My story eliminates the abuse while maintaining the essence of
the story.
THE
RAVEN, THE STORK AND HIS BEAK
There was once a stork who quarreled with his wife and
accidentally poked his wife’s eye with his beak. The stork was ashamed, so he
flew away to find somewhere else to live. A raven saw the stork and asked the
reason for his journey. The stork said that he had poked his wife's eye with
his beak. The raven asked the stork, “Is this the same beak that you have
always had?” When the stork said it was, the raven then observed, “So what is
the point of your running away if you carry your beak with you wherever you
go?”
MORAL: A CHANGE OF PLACE DOES NOT CHANGE WHO YOU ARE.
" THE RAVEN, THE STORK AND HIS BEAK." Aesop's
Fable. Intaglio Etching on Paper, 5 inch by 7 inch 2014.
I thought this was a cute story. The wolf is often a
villain. Here the wolf is jealous of the crow's good fortune and denies his own true
nature.
THE
WOLF, THE RAVEN, AND THE RAM
A wolf once saw a raven sitting on a ram. The wolf sighed
deeply and said, “That raven is a happy fellow, born under a lucky star!
Wherever he sits, whatever he says, whatever he does, nobody criticizes him in
any way. But if I were to clamber up on a ram like that, anyone who saw me
would start shouting and hurry to chase me away -- as if they had the ram's
best interests at heart!”
MORAL: THE UNDESERVING MAN IS JEALOUS OF ANYONE'S GOOD
FORTUNE. HE FEELS SORRY FOR HIMSELF WHEN HE SEES OTHERS ENJOYING THE THINGS HE
CAN, EVEN IF HE IS AWARE OF HIS OWN FAILINGS.
" THE WOLF, THE RAVEN AND THE RAM ." Aesop's
Fable, Intaglio Etching on Paper, 5 inch by 7 inch 2014.
This is a brilliant story and is one of Aesop’s most
famous fables. It has been illustrated often. I needed to approach it in a new
way. I teach art history. Most of Greek mythology is actually based on Minoan
legends. The Minoans preceded the Greeks had beautiful art and also a unique
painting style on their ceramic pots. I used a replica Minoan octopus pot for
the pitcher. Modern corvid research tried the Aesop story as an experiment.
The crows came up with the same solution! Aesop's fable proved to be true: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=153624407993898
THE
CROW AND THE PITCHER
A thirsty Crow found a Pitcher half full of water, but
when the Crow put its beak into the mouth of the Pitcher he could not reach far
enough down to get a drink. He tried, and he tried, but at last, had to give up
in despair. Then a thought accrued to him, he took a pebble and dropped it into
the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then
he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher until at last, at
last, he saw the water mount up near him, and after adding a few more pebbles
he was able to quench his thirst.
MORAL OF AESOP'S FABLE: LITTLE BY LITTLE DOES THE TRICK
"THE CROW AND THE PITCHER OF WATER ." Aesop's
Fable. Intaglio Etching on Paper, 5 inch by 7 inch 2014.
This was a new Aesop story to me. I wanted the bird’s
faces to generate a lot of emotion. The Jackdaw needed to look dejected. Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) is in the crow family. Jackdaws are normally about the size
of a Blue Jay. Ravens are nearly twice the size of a crow.
THE
JACKDAW AND THE RAVENS
There was once a Jackdaw who was bigger than the other
Jackdaws. Scorning his fellows, he joined the company of the Ravens, having
decided to spend his life as a member of their flock. The Ravens, however, did
not recognize the voice of this bird or his appearance, so they attacked him
and drove him away. Rejected by the Ravens, he went back again to the jackdaws.
But the Jackdaws were angry about his arrogant behavior and refused to accept
him. The final result was that the Jackdaw had nowhere to go.
MORAL: 'BIRDS OF A FEATHER SHOULD FLOCK TOGETHER'
THE JACKDAW AND THE RAVENS, Etching, 5 inch by 7 inch,
2014 available in Black, Brown, and Blue Black
I have a soft spot for cranes. I live by a large pond in
Florida; we are surrounded by Sandhill cranes. I love their calls; they conjure
a feeling of a Jurassic world. When I read this story, I knew I had to use the
Sandhill crane. This Aesop story was one of those brutal ones that needed a
rewrite. In the original the crane is killed; in mine, he is bruised.
THE
CRANE AND THE CROW
Throughout history ravens and crows have been attributed
with supernatural qualities.
A crane and a crow had made a mutual pledge, agreeing
that the crane was to defend the crow from other birds, while the crow would
use her powers of prophecy to warn the crane about future events. These two
birds often went to the farmer’s field and ate his crops. When the farmer saw
what was happening to his field, he was angry, and said to his son, “Give me a
stone”. The crow forewarned the crane, and they wisely made their escape. Another
day, the crow again heard the farmer asking for a stone and warned the crane
again. The man understood that the crow was able to predict what was happening.
He whispered to his son quietly, “When I say, ‘give me some bread’, I really
want you to give me a stone.' “
The next day Crow and Crane were happily eating the
farmer’s crop, the farmer told the boy to “give him some bread”, and so the boy
gave him a stone. The farmer threw the stone at the crane and hurt both his
legs. The injured crane said to the crow, 'What has become of your gift of
prophecies? Why didn't you warn me that this was going to happen? The crow said
to the crane, “It is not my fault. Humans are always deceptive since they say
one thing and do another!”
MORAL OF AESOP’S FABLE: DON’T BE SEDUCED BY DECEPTIVE
WORDS, THEY WILL NOTHING CAUSE NOTHING BUT TROUBLE.
"THE CRANE AND THE CROW." Aesop's Fables,
Intaglio Etching on Paper, 5-inch by 7-inch 2014.
This is another brutal story that could not fit with
modern sensibility. The original story had the same start but a very different
ending. In the original Eagle and Crow successfully plot, they kill and eat the
tortoise. In my version, the tortoise cleverly escapes and the birds get no
meal. The moral still works well even though there is a happy ending.
THE
TORTOISE AND THE BIRDS
A Tortoise asked an Eagle to carry him to his new home,
promising her a rich reward for her trouble. The Eagle agreed and seizing the
Tortoise by the shell with her talons, soared aloft. On their way, they met a
Crow, who said to the Eagle: “Tortoise is good eating.” “The shell is too
hard,” said the Eagle in reply. “Those rocks would crack the shell; we will eat
well tonight” was the Crow’s answer.
Tortoise was very old and wise. He pretended not to hear
the birds. Before the hard rock was soft sand. At the last moment, he nipped the
eagle’s claw and landed safely in the warm soft sand. The tortoise was safe and the
two birds had empty stomachs.
MORAL: NEVER SOAR ALOFT ON AN ENEMY’S WINGS.
THE TORTOISE AND THE BIRDS, Etching, 5 inch by 7 inch,
2014 available in Black, Brown, and Blue Black
Painting Version: Acrylic, with gold pigment. 40" x 48" $2400
In this Fable Raven is jealous of the beauty of the swan’s
plumage. This story is about accepting who you are and not trying to be
something you are not.
THE
RAVEN AND THE SWAN
A RAVEN saw a Swan fly past and followed it, he desired
its beautiful plumage. Believing that the Swan's fine white color was a result
of Swan’s washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven took up residence in
the lake too. He learned to mimic the swan and even pretended to be a young
swan, hoping to learn how to earn its wonderfully white secrets. He tried to
live on the water but could not eat or rest. He cleaned his feathers as often
as he could, but he could not change their color. Swan finally told Raven to
give up and go home. Raven, famished and tired, flew away.
AESOP’S MORAL: CHANGE OF HABIT CANNOT ALTER NATURE.
THE RAVEN AND THE SWAN, Etching, 5 inch by 7 inch, 2014
available in Black, Brown, and Blue Black
This is one of the most famous and most illustrated of
Aesop’s Fables. Most illustrations show the caged dove with the crow outside
looking in. I used the perspective from the inside of the cage.
THE
DOVE AND THE CROW
A Dove shut up in a cage was bragging about the large
number of young ones that she had hatched. A Crow hearing her, said: "My
good friend, end this ridiculous boasting. The larger the number of your
family, the greater your cause of sorrow, in seeing them shut up in this
prison-house.”
MORAL OF AESOP’S FABLE: TO ENJOY OUR BLESSINGS, WE MUST
HAVE FREEDOM.
The Dove and Crow, Etching 5 x 7 inch 2014
The Dove and Crow, Etching 5 x 7 inch 2014
In many ancient European myths and legends, there was no
difference between Ravens and Crows. They were seen as the same bird. In this
story, The Fox outsmarts the crow by appealing to the Crow’s vanity. This has
been illustrated many times. In my version, I chose a close-up of both characters.
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| Never Trust Flatterers- Acrylic, 40" x 60" 2019 |
This painting is the first painting based on my Aesop series, I hope to do each of my Aesop etchings.
Aesop’s THE FOX AND CROW
A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in
its beak and settle on a branch of a tree.
"That's for me, as I am a Fox," he said, and he
walked up to the foot of the tree.
"Good day, Mistress Crow," he cried. "How
well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I
feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure
does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of
Birds."
The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best,
but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground,
only to be snapped up by Master Fox.
"That will do," said he. "That was all I
wanted. In exchange for your cheese, I will give you a piece of advice for the
future: "DO NOT TRUST FLATTERERS."
"DO NOT TRUST FLATTERERS." (Raven Series)
Intaglio Etching on Paper, 5 inch by 7 inch 2014. Black, Blue Black ink, Brown
Ink, Gray Ink. This is a remade plate for my 2010 etching of the same name. The
plate for that print was lost so I re-etched a new one. This is a new edition
Painting version 40" x 60" Acrylic with gold and copper leaf. sold
This is another fable about the dangers of vanity. When I was a kid, we lived near a peacock farm.
My friends and I enjoyed watching the bird strut.
THE
CROW AND THE PEACOCKS
Crow venturing into a yard where Peacocks used to walk
and found several feathers that had fallen from the Peacocks when
they were molting. He tied them all to his tail and strutted down towards the
Peacocks. When he came near them they soon discovered the cheat, and striding
up to him pecked at him and plucked away his borrowed plumes. So the Crow could
do no better than go back to the other Crows, who had watched his behavior from
a distance; but they were equally annoyed with him, and told him:
MORAL: "IT IS NOT ONLY FINE FEATHERS THAT MAKE FINE
BIRDS.”
THE CROW AND THE PEACOCKS, Etching, 5 inch by 7 inch,
2014 available in Black, Brown, and Blue Black
I enjoyed working on this print. I wanted to give the
Sheep a very animated expression because sheep typically lack expression.
THE
CROW AND THE SHEEP
A crow had seated herself atop a sheep so that the sheep
had to carry the crow around against her will. After a while, the sheep
remarked, “If you had done this to a dog, you would not be able to get away
with it: dogs have teeth!'
The crow replied, 'I dislike creatures that cannot defend
themselves, yet I avoid the mighty, I picked my targets just for that reason.
That is why I last to a ripe old age, living for thousands of years.”
MORAL OF THE STORY: PICK YOUR ENEMIES WISELY
" THE CROW AND THE SHEEP." Aesop's Fable,
Intaglio Etching on Paper, 5 inch by 7
inch 2014
Aesop loved stories about beauty and vanity. Aesop was
supposed to be a hunchback and with a very ugly face. For much of his life, he must
have had to fend off insults and hurtful remarks. It is no wonder so many of
his fables have to do with perceptions of beauty and ugliness.
THE
SWALLOW AND THE CROW
The Swallow and the Crow were practicing their acrobatic
stunts. Soon they were quarreling with each other about who had the more
beautiful feathers and wings. The Swallow was bragging about her beautiful
colors and was called the Crow’s color drab and dull. Finally, the Crow said to
the Swallow
“Your feathers are all very pretty in the spring, but are
no protection from biting winds, my feathers protect me against the long
winter’s cold. “
MORAL: FAIR WEATHER FRIENDS ARE NOT WORTH MUCH.
" THE SWALLOW AND THE CROW." Aesop's Fable.
Intaglio Etching on Paper, 5 inch by 7 inch 2014.
Painting version, The Swallow and the Crow, 36" x 48" Acrylic and gold and copper leaf. SOLD
THE CROW AND THE SNAKE
A greedy Crow spied a Snake lying asleep in a sunny spot. “Oh Look, an easy dinner!” and picked it up in his claws. He was about to carry it off to eat it without being disturbed when the Snake raised its head and bit him. It was a poisonous Snake, and the bite was lethal, and the dying Crow wept, "What a cruel fate! I thought I had made a lucky find, and it has cost me everything!"
Moral: Desire things you don’t comprehend, and you accept the consequences.
THE CROW AND THE SNAKE, Etching 5 inch x 7 inch 2019
THE CROW AND ATHENA
Crow was once white and Athena’s favorite bird. Athena asked if Crow could see the future. Athena was furious about a Love prediction that Crow made. She banned all crows from the Acropolis forever and she turned their feathers black. Crow's predictions came true which made her angrier.
Crow was making a sacrifice to Athena and invited a dog to the feast. The dog said to her, 'Why do you waste this food on sacrifices? The Athena clearly hates you so much that she turns you black and does not listen to you anymore. 'The crow answered, “That is all the more reason for me to sacrifice to her: I hope she will change her feelings towards me!” Athena never forgave Crow; she is black to this day.
Moral: Never fain kindness in the hopes of gaining something from it.
Crow was once white and Athena’s favorite bird. Athena asked if Crow could see the future. Athena was furious about a Love prediction that Crow made. She banned all crows from the Acropolis forever and she turned their feathers black. Crow's predictions came true which made her angrier.
Crow was making a sacrifice to Athena and invited a dog to the feast. The dog said to her, 'Why do you waste this food on sacrifices? The Athena clearly hates you so much that she turns you black and does not listen to you anymore. 'The crow answered, “That is all the more reason for me to sacrifice to her: I hope she will change her feelings towards me!” Athena never forgave Crow; she is black to this day.
Moral: Never fain kindness in the hopes of gaining something from it.
THE CROW AND ATHENA, Etching 5 inch x 7 inch 2019
THE MAGPIE AND HER TAIL
THE WOLF AND THE RAVEN
THE COWARD AND THE RAVENS
THE MERCHANT AND THE RAVENS
THE RAVEN AND THE TRAVELLER
THE CROW, THE EAGLE AND THE FEATHERS
THE RAVEN AND HERMES
All of my prints are available through Etsy.
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