Cigale With Only Her Lute String by Wuanita Smith

Cigale With Only Her Lute String by Wuanita Smith

Cigale With Only Her Lute String

Wuanita Smith

Title

Cigale With Only Her Lute String

 
Artist

Wuanita Smith

  1866 - 1959 (biography)
Year
c. 1930  
Technique
white-line color woodcut 
Image Size
9 15/16 x 8 5/16" image 
Signature
pencil, lower right 
Edition Size
not stated, presumed small 
Annotations
titled, lower left; "imp" lower right 
Reference
 
Paper
antique-white laid 
State
published 
Publisher
artist 
Inventory ID
20621 
Price
SOLD
Description

Cigale (cicada or grasshopper) is a divertissement-ballet in two acts by Jules Massenet to a scenario by Henri Cain. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 4 February 1904.

The story is a retelling of the fable The Grasshopper and the Ant, in this case the grasshopper being a cicada and the ant referred to only as "La Pauvrette" (the poor little one). La Pauvrette, after being taken in, fed and fêted by La Cigale, is rude and heartless when the situation is reversed. Cigale is left to die in the snow at the close of the ballet.