Francisco Filipe Cruz Cultural Marketing - Sponsorship.

31/10/2024

Anne Bachelier The Magic Forest & Fernando Pessoa poem Dream

It was somewhere secluded
In silence and moon.
All like a lagoon.
No cares there intruded
Save the vague winds swoon.

Landscape intermediate
Between dreams and land.
The wind slept, calm-fanned.
The waters were weedy at
Where we plunged our hand.

We let the hand wander
In the water unseen.
Our eyes were with th' sheen
Of the moonlit meander
Of the forest scene.

There we lost the spirit
Of our still being we.
We were fairy-free,
Having to inherit
Nothing from to be.

The fairies there and the elves
Damasked their moonlit train.
There we shall awhile gain
All the elusive selves
We never can obtain.

I feel pale and I shiver.
What power of the moonlight
Tremulous under the river
Thus pains me with delight?

What spell told by the moon
Unlooses all my soul?
O speak to me! I swoon!
I fade from life's control!

I am a far spirit, e'en
In the felt place of me.
O river too serene
For my tranquillity!

O ache somehow of living!
O sorrow for something!
O moon-pain the sense-giving
That I am vainly king

In some spell-bound realm mute,
In a lunar land lone!
O ache as of a dying flute
When we would have't play on!

Courtesy
Anne Bachelier
https://www.facebook.com/anne.bachelier.3

Casa / House Fernando Pessoa
https://www.casafernandopessoa.pt/en/cfp

Biblioteca Fernando Pessoa / Fernando Pessoa’s Private Library
A very particular library ...
https://bibliotecaparticular.casafernandopessoa.pt/index/index.htm

https://bibliotecaparticular.casafernandopessoa.pt/index/index.htm

europeana.
https://www.europeana.eu/en/search?page=1&view=grid&query=Fernando%20Pessoa

& Escritas org.
https://www.escritas.org/pt/t/1415/6-dream

31/10/2024

The Art of Tina Modotti ( Italian American photographer, model, actor, 1896 - 1942 ) - Telephone Wires, Mexico, 1925.
MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art.

Courtesy MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art.
https://www.moma.org/

31/10/2024

Centre Pompidou Paris exhibition: Surréalisme / Surrealism
4 Sep 2024 - 13 Jan 2025.

Designed like a maze, the “Surrealism” exhibition is an unprecedented dive into the exceptional creative effervescence of the Surrealist movement, born in 1924 with the publication of André Breton’s founding Manifesto.

Combining paintings, drawings, films, photographs and literary documents, the exhibition presents works by the movement’s iconic artists (Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst, Joan Miró), as well as those by the female Surrealists (including Leonora Carrington, Ithell Colquhoun, Dora Maar).

The exhibition is organised both chronologically and thematically, structured into 14 sections that evoke the literary figures who inspired the movement (Lautréamont, Lewis Carroll, Sade, etc.) and the poetic principles that structure its imagery (the artist as a medium, dreams, the philosopher’s stone, the forest, etc.).

At the heart of the exhibition is a central “drum” housing the original manuscript of the Manifesto, an exceptional loan from the National Library of France. A multimedia screening accompanies the discovery of this unique document, providing insight into its creation and meaning.

Image:
Leonora Carrington (1917, Royaume-uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du nord - 2011, Etats-unis du Mexique) - Green Tea,
1942
Huile sur toile. The Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florence
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/297568

Courtesy

Centre Pompidou Paris exhibition: Surréalisme / Surrealism
4 Sep 2024 - 13 Jan 2025.
https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/program/calendar/event/gGUudFS

MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art.
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/297568

30/10/2024

David Gilmour & his daughter Romani & Dog - Between Two Points, Tour Rehearsal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_QTaUuU8F4

Courtesy David Gilmour

David Gilmour's 'Luck and Strange', released 6th September 2024. Order now from https://davidgilmour.lnk.to/LuckandStrange on vinyl, CD and digital.*ABOUT LU...

30/10/2024

The Art of Daniel Smith ( American artist ) - Zero Tolerance ...
Oil on canvas.

Courtesy Daniel Smith http://www.danielsmithwildlife.com/

29/10/2024

「見立東海道五十三次岡部猫石の由来」　「寺西関心」五代目沢村宗十郎ヵ　　三代目尾上菊五郎の猫石の精　　「大江因幡之助」十二代目市村 羽左衛門

The Art of Utagawa Kuniyoshi ( Japanese artist, 1797–1861 ) - The Origin Story of the Cat Stone at Okabe, Representing One of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road, 1847.
MFA, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston

The Origin Story of the Cat Stone at Okabe, Representing One of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô Road (Mitate Tôkaidô gojûsan tsugi Okabe neko ishi no yurai): Actors Sawamura Sojûrô V (?) as Teranishi Kanshin (R), Onoe Kikugorô III as the Cat Monster (C), and Ichimura Uzaemon XII as Ôe Inabanosuke (L)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797–1861)
Publisher: Yama-Ku (2) (Japanese) JapaneseEdo period, 1847 (Kôka 4), 7th month

Courtesy MFA, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston
https://collections.mfa.org/objects/472789

https://illustrationchronicles.com/Obsessed-with-Cats-The...

https://www.thegreatcat.org/.../utagawa-kuniyoshi-1797.../

28/10/2024

Jan van Kessel the Elder was Jan Brueghel the Elder’s grandson ...

The Art of Jan van Kessel the Elder ( Flemish painter active in Antwerp in the mid-17th century, 1626 – 1679 ) - Festons, masques et rosettes de coquillages / Festoon, masks and rosettes made of shells.
Color on Cooper. Fondation Custodia, Frits Lugt collection.

Jan van Kessel the Elder was Jan Brueghel the Elder’s grandson (cf. no. 7). He was registered in the Antwerp guild in 1644/45 as a flower painter, but his work was not limited to this genre. He painted all kinds of still lifes (which were avidly collected) (cf. no. 23) and even landscapes.
This painting on copper – a surface often used by Kessel – is exceptional in his work: it is the only known specimen of this type of decorative and anthropomorphic composition with shells. The work is in an excellent state of conservation, enabling us to appreciate fully the painter’s meticulous technique and gift for trompe l’oeil.

A versatile artist, he practiced in many genres including studies of insects, floral still lifes, marines, river landscapes, paradise landscapes, allegorical compositions, scenes with animals and genre scenes.

A scion of the Brueghel family many of his subjects took inspiration of the work of his grandfather Jan Brueghel the Elder as well as from the earlier generation of Flemish painters such as Daniel Seghers, Joris Hoefnagel and Frans Snyders.

Van Kessel's works were highly prized by his contemporaries and were collected by skilled artisans, wealthy merchants, nobles and foreign luminaries throughout Europe.

Courtesy
Fondation Custodia. Un Univers intime. Paintings from the Frits Lugt Collection.
https://www.fondationcustodia.fr/ununiversintime/paintings.cfm

CODART.
https://www.codart.nl/guide/agenda/un-univers-intime-paintings-from-the-frits-lugt-collection/

28/10/2024

Jan van Kessel the Elder was Jan Brueghel the Elder’s grandson ...

Detail: The Art of Jan van Kessel the Elder ( Flemish painter active in Antwerp in the mid-17th century, 1626 – 1679 ) - Festons, masques et rosettes de coquillages / Festoon, masks and rosettes made of shells.
Color on Cooper. Fondation Custodia, Frits Lugt collection.

Jan van Kessel the Elder was Jan Brueghel the Elder’s grandson (cf. no. 7). He was registered in the Antwerp guild in 1644/45 as a flower painter, but his work was not limited to this genre. He painted all kinds of still lifes (which were avidly collected) (cf. no. 23) and even landscapes.
This painting on copper – a surface often used by Kessel – is exceptional in his work: it is the only known specimen of this type of decorative and anthropomorphic composition with shells. The work is in an excellent state of conservation, enabling us to appreciate fully the painter’s meticulous technique and gift for trompe l’oeil.

A versatile artist, he practiced in many genres including studies of insects, floral still lifes, marines, river landscapes, paradise landscapes, allegorical compositions, scenes with animals and genre scenes.

A scion of the Brueghel family many of his subjects took inspiration of the work of his grandfather Jan Brueghel the Elder as well as from the earlier generation of Flemish painters such as Daniel Seghers, Joris Hoefnagel and Frans Snyders.

Van Kessel's works were highly prized by his contemporaries and were collected by skilled artisans, wealthy merchants, nobles and foreign luminaries throughout Europe.

Courtesy
Fondation Custodia. Un Univers intime. Paintings from the Frits Lugt Collection.
https://www.fondationcustodia.fr/ununiversintime/paintings.cfm

CODART.
https://www.codart.nl/guide/agenda/un-univers-intime-paintings-from-the-frits-lugt-collection/

28/10/2024

I am pleased to report that after an 11 week absence, my cartoons have returned to The Economist. I was also delighted to learn that the same cartoon appeared on this weekend's France24.

- Kevin Kallaugher Cartoonist and satirist. The Economist for 44 yrs, Baltimore Sun 27. Loves the ancient mighty pen.

Courtesy Kevin Kallaugher
https://www.facebook.com/Kaltoons

28/10/2024

I am pleased to report that after an 11 week absence, my cartoons have returned to The Economist.

The Art of Kevin Kallaugher Cartoonist and satirist. The Economist for 44 yrs, Baltimore Sun 27. Loves the ancient mighty pen.

Courtesy Kevin Kallaugher
https://www.facebook.com/Kaltoons

28/10/2024

The Art of Jan Brueghel The Younger ( 1601 - 1678) and Hendrick van B***n the Elder ( 1575 –1632 ) - The Madonna and Child in a Floral Garland.
Oil on copper
Hendrick van B***n the Elder (1575–1632 ) was a significant figure in the Antwerp art world during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was not only a highly respected painter in his own right but also an influential mentor to many artists of his time. Known for his refined and elegant style, especially in religious and allegorical works, Van B***n's influence extended through his role as a teacher, fostering a generation of painters who would go on to shape Flemish Baroque art.
Van B***n the Elder’s early career began in the vibrant artistic environment of late 16th century Antwerp. Born in 1575, he trained under the renowned Flemish painter Adam van Noort, who was also the teacher of Peter Paul Rubens, one of the most famous Baroque painters. This early training provided Van B***n with a strong foundation in the Flemish artistic tradition and probably influenced his own path as a mentor.
Van B***n became a master in the Guild of Saint Luke, in 1592, when he was only 17 years old. This early achievement is a testament to his talent and the quality of his training. In his early works, Van B***n specialized in small cabinet pictures with mythological and religious themes, and his early style was also influenced by Mannerism.
By the early 1600s, Van B***n had established himself as a prominent artist in Antwerp, receiving commissions for altarpieces and other religious works. Around this time, he began collaborating with other leading artists of the period, including Jan Brueghel the Elder, marking the beginning of a successful partnership.
As a member of the Antwerp artistic community, Van B***n felt a responsibility to the community and started to actively mentor many young artists, while producing work to further his own career. He trained several notable artists in his studio, including the famous Anthony van Dyck. Through his teaching, Van B***n passed down techniques and stylistic elements characteristic of Flemish painting. These were also vital to his collaborations with Jan Brueghel the Elder.
Brueghel the Elder died in 1625, leaving an active and successful studio to his son Jan Brueghel the Younger. Van B***n the Elder’s mentorship of Jan Brueghel the Younger is particularly significant, as it helped Brueghel transition into managing the prestigious family workshop after his father died. Van B***n likely provided guidance not only in artistic technique but also in navigating the professional and social circles of Antwerp’s art community. He continued to collaborate with Jan Brueghel the Younger, offering the youth support and direction in the absence of his father.
Van B***n's reputation as a teacher and mentor, alongside his established career, cemented his role as a central figure in Antwerp and in art history. What would 16th and 17th century Flemish art be today without his guidance to all these young, talented artists? His own production alongside his collaborations, not only contributed to the style and techniques of the times, but also set an example for other artists. Giving back to the community, mentoring younger students, supporting the children of friends who needed him at important times were all generous offerings of time and care that not everyone was willing to give. Van B***n the Elder defined the term “paying it forward”. An important lesson we could all learn to improve our own community around us.
23 October 2024

The Art of Jan Brueghel The Younger ( 1601 - 1678) and Hendrick van B***n the Elder ( 1575 –1632 ) - The Madonna and Child in a Floral Garland.
Oil on copper
Hendrick van B***n the Elder (1575–1632 ) was a significant figure in the Antwerp art world during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was not only a highly respected painter in his own right but also an influential mentor to many artists of his time. Known for his refined and elegant style, especially in religious and allegorical works, Van B***n's influence extended through his role as a teacher, fostering a generation of painters who would go on to shape Flemish Baroque art.
Van B***n the Elder’s early career began in the vibrant artistic environment of late 16th century Antwerp. Born in 1575, he trained under the renowned Flemish painter Adam van Noort, who was also the teacher of Peter Paul Rubens, one of the most famous Baroque painters. This early training provided Van B***n with a strong foundation in the Flemish artistic tradition and probably influenced his own path as a mentor.
Van B***n became a master in the Guild of Saint Luke, in 1592, when he was only 17 years old. This early achievement is a testament to his talent and the quality of his training. In his early works, Van B***n specialized in small cabinet pictures with mythological and religious themes, and his early style was also influenced by Mannerism.
By the early 1600s, Van B***n had established himself as a prominent artist in Antwerp, receiving commissions for altarpieces and other religious works. Around this time, he began collaborating with other leading artists of the period, including Jan Brueghel the Elder, marking the beginning of a successful partnership.
As a member of the Antwerp artistic community, Van B***n felt a responsibility to the community and started to actively mentor many young artists, while producing work to further his own career. He trained several notable artists in his studio, including the famous Anthony van Dyck. Through his teaching, Van B***n passed down techniques and stylistic elements characteristic of Flemish painting. These were also vital to his collaborations with Jan Brueghel the Elder.
Brueghel the Elder died in 1625, leaving an active and successful studio to his son Jan Brueghel the Younger. Van B***n the Elder’s mentorship of Jan Brueghel the Younger is particularly significant, as it helped Brueghel transition into managing the prestigious family workshop after his father died. Van B***n likely provided guidance not only in artistic technique but also in navigating the professional and social circles of Antwerp’s art community. He continued to collaborate with Jan Brueghel the Younger, offering the youth support and direction in the absence of his father.
Van B***n's reputation as a teacher and mentor, alongside his established career, cemented his role as a central figure in Antwerp and in art history. What would 16th and 17th century Flemish art be today without his guidance to all these young, talented artists? His own production alongside his collaborations, not only contributed to the style and techniques of the times, but also set an example for other artists. Giving back to the community, mentoring younger students, supporting the children of friends who needed him at important times were all generous offerings of time and care that not everyone was willing to give. Van B***n the Elder defined the term “paying it forward”. An important lesson we could all learn to improve our own community around us.
23 October 2024

Courtesy Lawrence Steigrad Fine Arts.
https://www.steigrad.com/breughel-and-van-balen-madonna

28/10/2024

Detail: The Art of Jan Brueghel The Younger ( 1601 - 1678) and Hendrick van B***n the Elder ( 1575 –1632 ) - The Madonna and Child in a Floral Garland.
Oil on copper

Hendrick van B***n the Elder (1575–1632 ) was a significant figure in the Antwerp art world during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was not only a highly respected painter in his own right but also an influential mentor to many artists of his time. Known for his refined and elegant style, especially in religious and allegorical works, Van B***n's influence extended through his role as a teacher, fostering a generation of painters who would go on to shape Flemish Baroque art.

Van B***n the Elder’s early career began in the vibrant artistic environment of late 16th century Antwerp. Born in 1575, he trained under the renowned Flemish painter Adam van Noort, who was also the teacher of Peter Paul Rubens, one of the most famous Baroque painters. This early training provided Van B***n with a strong foundation in the Flemish artistic tradition and probably influenced his own path as a mentor.

Van B***n became a master in the Guild of Saint Luke, in 1592, when he was only 17 years old. This early achievement is a testament to his talent and the quality of his training. In his early works, Van B***n specialized in small cabinet pictures with mythological and religious themes, and his early style was also influenced by Mannerism.

By the early 1600s, Van B***n had established himself as a prominent artist in Antwerp, receiving commissions for altarpieces and other religious works. Around this time, he began collaborating with other leading artists of the period, including Jan Brueghel the Elder, marking the beginning of a successful partnership.

As a member of the Antwerp artistic community, Van B***n felt a responsibility to the community and started to actively mentor many young artists, while producing work to further his own career. He trained several notable artists in his studio, including the famous Anthony van Dyck. Through his teaching, Van B***n passed down techniques and stylistic elements characteristic of Flemish painting. These were also vital to his collaborations with Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Brueghel the Elder died in 1625, leaving an active and successful studio to his son Jan Brueghel the Younger. Van B***n the Elder’s mentorship of Jan Brueghel the Younger is particularly significant, as it helped Brueghel transition into managing the prestigious family workshop after his father died. Van B***n likely provided guidance not only in artistic technique but also in navigating the professional and social circles of Antwerp’s art community. He continued to collaborate with Jan Brueghel the Younger, offering the youth support and direction in the absence of his father.

Van B***n's reputation as a teacher and mentor, alongside his established career, cemented his role as a central figure in Antwerp and in art history. What would 16th and 17th century Flemish art be today without his guidance to all these young, talented artists? His own production alongside his collaborations, not only contributed to the style and techniques of the times, but also set an example for other artists. Giving back to the community, mentoring younger students, supporting the children of friends who needed him at important times were all generous offerings of time and care that not everyone was willing to give. Van B***n the Elder defined the term “paying it forward”. An important lesson we could all learn to improve our own community around us.

23 October 2024

Courtesy Lawrence Steigrad Fine Arts.
https://www.steigrad.com/breughel-and-van-balen-madonna

27/10/2024

The Art of John Lennon ( English singer, songwriter and musician. He gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. His work included music, writing, drawings and film, 1940 – 1980 ) - Herd Moving

John Lennon attended the Liverpool Art Institute for three years (1957-60). During that time, he developed a style of sketching and drawing figures containing his somewhat sarcastic sense of humor.

In later years he would incorporate this whimsical style into art for his books and work done for various social movements.

Courtesy Ocean Blue.
https://www.oceanblue.gallery/art-for-sale/john-lennon-art/

27/10/2024

Reeling from defeat in Vietnam, the US invaded a Cambodian island to rescue a US freighter—just before its crew members, who were elsewhere, were released...

Reeling from defeat in Vietnam, the US invaded a Cambodian island to rescue a US freighter—just before its crew members, who were elsewhere, were released.

27/10/2024

Although it is night… Song of the Soul that /delights in knowing God through Faith
Lovely poem of San Juan de la Cruz ( Spanish Catholic priest, one of the thirty-seven Doctors of the Church, 1542 – 1591 ), set to music by master Enrique Morente

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MSSG8h5j5g

Song of the Soul that /delights in knowing God through Faith

How well I know the spring, that flows and runs
Although it is in the night


That eternal spring is hidden
How well I know where it has its refuge
Although it is in the night


In the darkened night of this life,
How well I know, by faith, the cold spring
Although it is in the night


I do not know its beginning, for it has none
But I know that all beginnings come from it
Although it is in the night,


I know that there cannot be a thing so beautiful,
And that the heavens and earth drink from it
Although it is in the night


I know well that it is not found in the soil
And that no one can wade through it
Although it is in the night


Its clarity is never darkened
And all light is coming from it,
Although it is in the night


And its streams are so abundant,
That it waters the heavens, hells, and the people
Although it is in the night


The current that is born from this spring,
I know well that it is so capable and so powerful
Although it is in the night


The current that proceeds from these two
I know that neither of them precede it
Although it is in the night


Here all the creatures are being called
And from this water, they are sated, though in the dark
Because it is in the night


In this living fountain that I yearn for,
In it, I see the bread of life
Although it is in the night


In this eternal fountain it is hidden
In this bread that gives me life
Although it is in the night

Original:

Cantar del alma que se huelga de conoscer a Dios por fe.

Que bien sé yo la fonte que mana y corre
aunque es de noche.

Aquella eterna fonte está ascondida,
que bien sé yo do tiene su manida,
aunque es de noche.

Su origen no lo sé, pues no le tiene,
mas sé que todo origen della viene,
aunque es de noche.

Sé que no puede ser cosa tan bella,
y que cielos y tierra beban della,
aunque es de noche.

Bien sé que suelo en ella no se halla,
y que ninguno puede vadealla,
aunque es de noche.

Su claridad nunca es escurecida,
y sé que toda luz della es venida,
aunque es de noche.

Sé ser tan caudalosas sus corrientes,
que infiernos, cielos riegan, y las gentes,
aunque es de noche.

El corriente que nace desta fuente
bien sé que es tan capaz y tan potente,
aunque es de noche.

El corriente que de estas dos procede

sé que ninguna de ellas le precede,

aunque es de noche.

Aquesta Eterna fuente está escondida
en este vivo pan por darnos vida,
aunque es de noche.

Aquí se está llamando a las criaturas
porque desta agua se harten aunque a oscuras,
porque es de noche.

Aquesta viva fuente que deseo
en este pan de vida yo la veo,
aunque es de noche.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYDsok3WFNg

Letra inspirada en el poema original de San Juan de la Cruz: “Qué bien sé yo la fonte que mane y corre" (escrito hacia 1577 en Toledo)1. Aquella eterna fonte...

27/10/2024

Fables de la Fontaine / La Fontaine, fables ...

Les deux chèvres, gravure J.B. Oudry, XVIIIe siècle
The two goats, engraving JB Oudry, 18th century

The Two Goats

As soon as the goats have grazed,
A certain spirit of freedom
Makes them seek their fortune: they go on a journey
Towards the places of pasture
The least frequented by humans:
There, if there is a place without roads and paths,
A rock, some mountain hanging in precipices,
It is where these ladies go to wander their whims.
Nothing can stop this climbing animal.
Two goats then freeing themselves,
Both having white paws (1),
Left the low meadows, each from her share.
One towards the other went for some good chance.
A stream meets, and for a bridge a plank.
Two weasels would hardly have passed abreast
On this bridge;
Besides, the rapid wave and the deep stream
Must have made these Amazons tremble with fear.
Despite so many dangers, one of these people
Places a foot on the plank, and the other does the same.
I imagine seeing, with Louis the Great,
Philip the Fourth who advances
On the island of the Conference (2) .
Thus advanced step by step,
Nose to nose, our adventurers,
Who both being very proud,
Towards the middle of the bridge did not want
to yield to each other. They had the glory
Of counting in their race, according to history,
One a certain goat, of peerless merit,
Of which Polyphemus presented to Galatea(3);
And the other the goat Amalthea(4),
By whom Jupiter was nourished.
Failing to retreat, their fall was common.
Both fell into the water.

This accident is not new
In the path of fortune.


This fable appeared in February 1691 in "Le Mercure galant".
The subject served as a Latin theme for the Duke of Burgundy.
LF has profoundly modified a story by Pliny the Elder
(Latin writer, 1st century AD, who perished during the eruption of Vesuvius), in the "Natural Histories" which told the story of two goats meeting
on a narrow bridge, one lying down to let the other pass over its back.

Here, LF substitutes for the story an example of human stupidity.
"He thus indulges in the satire of the squabbles over precedence which, from King Louis XIV [...] down to the least nobles, including the ladies of the
Court, the magistrates and the canons, ardently occupied all the orders of French society."
(M. Fumaroli, La Fontaine, fables)

(1) these are therefore quality goats
(2) the island of Pheasants on the Bidassoa. This is where the conferences for the peace of the Pyrenees were held (link under the title of the page), signed on November 7, 1659 and the marriage of Louis XIV with the Infanta Maria Theresa, celebrated religiously on June 9, 1660 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
(3) allusion to the love of the cyclops Polyphemus for the nymph Galatea. LF had made an unfinished opera about it: Galatea
(M. Fumaroli)
(4) when he was hidden in Crete by his mother, the goddess Rhea, to steal him from his father, Saturn (JP Collinet)

Les deux Chèvres
Dès que les chèvres ont brouté,
Certain esprit de liberté
Leur fait chercher fortune : elles vont en voyage
Vers les endroits du pâturage
Les moins fréquentés des humains :
Là, s'il est quelque lieu sans route et sans chemins,
Un rocher, quelque mont pendant en précipices,
C'est où ces dames vont promener leurs caprices.
Rien ne peut arrêter cet animal grimpant.
Deux chèvres donc s'émancipant,
Toutes deux ayant patte blanche (1),
Quittèrent les bas prés, chacune de sa part.
L'une vers l'autre allait pour quelque bon hasard.
Un ruisseau se rencontre, et pour pont une planche.
Deux belettes à peine auraient passé de front
Sur ce pont ;
D'ailleurs, l'onde rapide et le ruisseau profond
Devaient faire trembler de peur ces amazones.
Malgré tant de dangers, l'une de ces personnes
Pose un pied sur la planche, et l'autre en fait autant.
Je m'imagine voir, avec Louis le Grand,
Philippe Quatre qui s'avance
Dans l'île de la Conférence (2).
Ainsi s'avançaient pas à pas,
Nez à nez, nos aventurières,
Qui toutes deux étant fort fières,
Vers le milieu du pont ne se voulurent pas
L'une à l'autre céder. Elles avaient la gloire
De compter dans leur race, à ce que dit l'histoire,
L'une certaine chèvre, au mérite sans pair,
Dont Polyphème fit présent à Galatée(3) ;
Et l'autre la chèvre Amalthée (4),
Par qui fut nourri Jupiter.
Faute de reculer, leur chute fut commune.
Toutes deux tombèrent dans l'eau.
Cet accident n'est pas nouveau
Dans le chemin de la fortune.
Cette fable a paru en février 1691 dans
"Le Mercure galant".
Le sujet a servi de thème latin au duc de Bourgogne.
L.F. a profondément modifié un récit de Pline l'Ancien
(écrivain latin, Ier siècle après J.C., qui périt au cours de l'éruption du Vésuve), dans les "Histoires naturelles" qui racontait l'histoire de deux chèvres se rencontrant
sur un pont étroit, l'une se couchant pour laisser passer l'autre par-dessus son dos.
Ici, L.F. substitue au récit un exemple de la sottise humaine.
"Il se livre ainsi à la satire des chicanières querelles de préséances qui, depuis le roi Louis XIV [...] jusqu'aux moindres gentillâtres, en passant par les dames de la
Cour, les magistrats et les chanoines, occupaient ardemment tous les ordres de la société française."
(M.Fumaroli, La Fontaine, fables)
(1) ce sont donc des chèvres de qualité
(2) l'île des Faisans sur la Bidassoa. C'est là que se tinrent les conférences pour la paix des Pyrénées (lien sous le titre de la page), signée le 7 novembre 1659 et le mariage de Louis XIV avec l'infante Marie-Thérèse, célébré religieusement le 9 juin 1660 à Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
(3) allusion à l'amour du cyclope Polyphème pour la nymphe Galatée. L.F. en avait fait un opéra inachevé : Galatée
(M.Fumaroli)
(4) quand il fut caché en Crète par sa mère, la déesse Rhée, pour le dérober à son père, Saturne (J.P. Collinet)

Courtesy Asociation pour le Musée La Fontaine http://www.la-fontaine-ch-thierry.net/deuchevre.htm