Antique engraving from Jean-Baptiste Oudry's illustrated edition of La Fontaine's Fables (Paris, 1755-1759), believed to be an original 18th-century plate, c. 1758.

Fable CLXXIV: "L'Écolier, le Pédant, et le Maître d'un Jardin"
Designed by J. B. Oudry ("Oudry inv."), engraved by Louis Legrand ("Louis le Grand sculp."), as lettered below the image. The scene shows a garden owner confronting a pedant in a cassock, with a boy pleading on his knees and the fruit-stealing schoolboys hiding in the trees at left.

Details

• Engraving on paper, with a decorative ruled border and the title in a cartouche below
• Print size: approx. [ 30] x [22 ] cm
• Frame size: approx. [ 45 ]x [38 ] cm
• Black and gold-effect frame with a blue mat, behind glass
• Print is loose from the book, with no text on the reverse [confirm after checking]

Condition
Good for its age, with some faults:

• A vertical crease near the caption
• General age toning and possible light foxing
• The frame shows minor wear, and the mat is not acid-free, so you may want to re-mount it

Please look closely at the photos, which show the plate mark and the faults. I haven't taken the print out of the frame, so I can't comment on the back of the sheet.