Illustration for How Two Went Into Partnership; The fox tells father goat a strange story
Date1887
Artist
Howard Pyle
(American illustrator, 1853–1911)
Illustration Citation"How Two Went Into Partnership," by Howard Pyle, in Harper's Young People, January 25, 1887
MediumInk on illustration board
Dimensionscomposition: 6 1/2 × 6 1/2 in. (16.5 × 16.5 cm)
sheet: 8 5/8 × 8 7/16 in. (21.9 × 21.4 cm)
sheet: 8 5/8 × 8 7/16 in. (21.9 × 21.4 cm)
Credit LineMuseum Purchase, 1919
Object number1919-23
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextIn this fable, a fox and a goat confront each other during a plot to steal food. At the tale's end, the moral is that such duplicity does not pay. In the late 19th century, moralizing tales about anthropomorphic animals were a staple of children's literature. Here, cavalier boots and a Robin Hood-style hat give the fox a stylish air, while the goat's spectacles and high collar, along with his startled expression, make him seem an easy mark.
