| The Grasshopper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Jules Joseph Lefebvre |
| Year | 1872 |
| Type | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 186.7 cm× 123.8 cm(73.5 in× 48.7 in) |
| Location | National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne |
The Grasshopper (French: La Cigale) is an 1872 oil painting by the French artist Jules Joseph Lefebvre. [1] The nude scene makes allegorical reference to the fable The Ant and the Grasshopper by Jean de La Fontaine. After mocking the industrious Ant for wasting the summer collecting stores for the winter, the grasshopper suddenly finds itself homeless and destitute when the first winds of winter arrive. The picture was exhibited at the Salon of 1872 in Paris. Today the painting is in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, having been acquired through a 2005 bequest. [2]
