Watercolor illustrations made by my great-grandfather

As you already know, my great-grandfather was a man of many trades.

Throughout his childhood, he was particularly fond of classical literature and had read hundreds of books by the likes of Victor Hugo (Les Misérables), Emile Zola (Nana), Alexandre Dumas (The man in the Iron Mask), Jules Verne (Around the world in 80 Days) and so on...

When he reached retirement age, while devoting much of his time to the art of painting, he had the idea to illustrate a book he adored and had read at least a hundred times: "The Three Tales" (Les Trois Contes) by Gustave Flaubert.

Georges Sand (a famous French writer) had said to Flaubert: "You bring more sadness to the people who read you."
Was this the phrase, which my great-grandfather knew, that made him give a more joyful note to these "Three Tales"? It's quite probable.

Here are some of the illustrations I found inside the book:

A simple heart

This is the story of a poor, devoted country girl. She loves the people she works for, but also an old man she cares for, a nephew and her parrot.

This illustration represents the part of the story where the boat returns to the port and the sailors throw fish into baskets which women carried on their heads.

💦💦💦💦💦💦

Loulou the parrot was green with pink wing tips. He liked to tear off his feathers, and repeat many words which he learnt from his mistress.

💦💦💦💦💦💦

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This book took Gustave Flaubert nearly 30 years to write - he died only 3 years after its publication in 1877.

The Legend of St Julien l'Hospitalier

This story takes place in medieval times. Julien had a passion for hunting. During one of his outings, a deer tells him that one day he will kill his father and his mother. He tries, in vain, to flee this prediction. Realizing his crime he becomes a beggar and lives the rest of his life in poverty.

_{A castle in the middle of the woods with four towers and pointed roofs}

Herodias

This is the story of Herod Antipas who, in ancient times, wanted to marry one of his nieces but Laocanann is opposed to this incestuous relationship.

The watercolor seen here is an illustration of the Great feast of the Chiefs.

If you look closely, you will notice a Roman regurgitating his meal and another being served wine by a slave.

Funny little detail difficult to notice: on the jug is written the word Montagny, a village not far from my great-grandfather's, famous for its wine (but has nothing to do with the story of Herodias ... a priori! )

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These paintings, have all been meticulously executed within the very few white spaces left in the book.

His attention to detail helps us immerse into the atmosphere of the story and bring life to its numerous characters.
The use of bright colors provide a touch of cheerfulness to these three tales which earned Flaubert a shower of praise upon its release.

I hope you enjoyed today's illustrations and a brief overview of one of Gustave Flaubert's masterpiece.

All paintings were made by my great-grandfather, Robert -
seen here with my aunt and mom.

Don't hesitate to leave comments, ask questions, and share your ideas - I love to hear from all of you.

To view some of my previous posts, click on the links below:

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“Learning is not a race for information, it is a walk of discovery” - Jane Healy