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.