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I recently came across this little vase by the sculptor Théophile Hingre at an auction. I had never heard of the man before, but the bronze execution and the pronounced Art Nouveau stylization immediately caught my attention.
The accompanying text was – as so often – very brief; it mentioned only the dry facts, such as dimensions and so on. On the one hand, I find that unfortunate, because there is often so much more to know about an object like this. On the other hand… it also immediately sparks curiosity: can I figure out for myself what this is about?
There was not much enthusiasm for the object during the auction, so I could not resist acquiring it for a modest price. After it arrived, I began investigating, and below is a short report of what I was able to find...
Who was Theo Hingre?
It was very easy to find out who Theo Hingre was; he appears to be quite famous. There is a page on Wikipedia (in English, but more extensive in French). Theo – fully named “Louis Théophile Hingre” – was a French sculptor and printmaker. He was born in 1832 in Écouen (just above Paris) and also died there in 1911. In between, he lived and worked in England for some time.
He experienced the heyday of Art Nouveau – 1890 to 1900 – at an advanced age. That did not stop him from fully embracing this new style of the youth (Jugendstil). Both his sculptures and his posters are, in subject matter and stylization, 200% Art Nouveau.
Theo specialized in sculptures of animals and produced posters in Art Nouveau style. That fits perfectly with the form and imagery on the vase, so we can be certain we found the right Theo.
More of his work can be viewed on his “own” website and also on Wikimedia Commons.
Enough about Theo—back to the vase!
What exactly is depicted?
What we see are two birds in a small landscape. They are – very likely – peacocks, given their tails. Moreover, peacocks were a beloved subject in Art Nouveau, so that seems an obvious choice.
If we look more closely, we see a third, smaller bird that appears to be flying away. One of the peacocks also holds a peacock feather in its beak.
On the back of the vase there is also a bird – not a peacock – in full flight. This may be a swallow, though that is just a guess.
The subjects depicted in works like this often have symbolic meaning. It is therefore not literally about the peacock or the swallow, but about “what they represent.” So let’s search for the symbolism.
Symbolism
The symbolic meaning of the depicted animals is easy to find.
- Swallow: symbol of good luck, friendship, loyalty, freedom, and peace. When sailors used to see a swallow, they knew they were close to land.
- Peacocks: symbol of splendor, pride, and beauty.
Nice, but it still feels a bit like a random assortment of symbols...
While searching (in French) for the symbolic meaning of depicted birds, I accidentally stumbled upon a completely different story!
Scène de la fable "Le Geai paré des plumes du Paon". C'est la neuvième fable du livre IV de Jean de La Fontaine situé dans le premier recueil des Fables de La Fontaine, édité pour la première fois en 1668.
source
A reference to a fable by La Fontaine about peacocks and a jay...
Could that other bird perhaps not be a swallow but a jay? Curious, I continued searching for this fable...
De La Fontaine: The fable about the peacock and the jay
For those who do not know who Jean de La Fontaine was (as is probably the case for most people outside of France): he was a 17th-century French writer of stories and fables. A fable is a short story in verse or prose that conveys a life lesson in an engaging way. It is typically characterized by a simple fictional tale featuring talking animals. However, there is a “double meaning” with an allegorical composition in which the animals represent people or human traits.
And… the fable I found is indeed about peacocks and a jay! The text is written in somewhat archaic French, but still understandable.
LE GEAI PARÉ DES PLUMES DU PAON
Un paon muait: un geai prit son plumage;
Puis après se l'accommoda;
Puis parmi d'autres paons tout fier se panada,
Croyant être un beau personnage.
Quelqu'un le reconnut : il se vit bafoué
Berné, sifflé, moqué, joué,
Et par messieurs les paons plumé d'étrange sorte ;
Même vers ses pareils s'étant réfugié,
Il fut par eux mis à la porte,
Il est assez de geais à deux pieds comme lui,
Qui se parent souvent des dépouilles d'autrui,
Et que l'on nomme plagiaires.
Je m'en tais, et ne veux leur causer nul ennui :
Ce ne sont pas là mes affaires.
The English translation is as follows:
THE JAY WITH THE PEACOCK'S FEATHERS
A peacock was molting: a jay took its plumage;
He then adjusted it to fit;
Next, he proudly mingled among other peacocks,
Assuming he was a fine figure.
Someone recognized him: he was mocked,
Laughed at, jeered at, made fun of,
And plucked in a strange manner by the gentlemen peacocks;
Even when he sought refuge with his own kind,
He was turned away by them.
There are enough jays with two legs like him,
Who often adorn themselves with the work of others,
And who are called plagiarists.
I shall keep silent and will not trouble them:
That is not my business.
Showing off with someone else’s feathers
With this, the imagery on the vase is instantly explained! It shows the jay who has been exposed as a fraud. We see the deceitful jay, still with a few peacock feathers in its tail, flying away, while the “real” peacocks pull the feathers from its tail.
There is a English saying with a similar meaning: 'Adorning Oneself With Borrowed Plumes'. The moral, of course, is that when you boast using the work or achievements of another, or pretend to be more than you are, you will quickly be found out and scorned and ridiculed.
Both this saying and La Fontaine’s fable turn out to be derived from a much older story, originating in Latin (Phaedrus) and Greek (by Αἴσωπος) (in Dutch).
We can truly speak here of “ancient wisdom.”
Moral of the story
A charming object – art or not – with a bit of curiosity quickly gives a glimpse into a beautiful story. Before you know it, you are hundreds or thousands of years back in time, encountering wise lessons that remain relevant even in the modern age.
One Theo Hingre considered it worthwhile in the 19th century to depict this – he must have spent weeks on it. He gained recognition, though whether he became wealthy from it, we do not know.
In any case, I found it worthwhile to investigate and write down what he wanted to convey. The only question that remains is whether you found it worthwhile to read... ?
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Translated from my original post in Dutch
by me with help of ChatGPT