AESOP Five Centuries of Illustrated Fables 1964 Met Museum HC John J. McKendry

Step into five hundred years of tricksters, morals, and animals who talk too much. Aesop: Five Centuries of Illustrated Fables (1964), compiled by John J. McKendry for The Met, gathers centuries of art and woodcuts, pairing sly foxes and stubborn tortoises with the illustrators who tried to trap them on paper. Hardbound with yellow endpapers, this volume is equal parts gallery and cautionary tale. Cover shows fading from age—like wisdom in the sun—but inside remains sharp, crisp, and ready to whisper old truths in new ears. A collector’s piece where fine art meets the dark comedy of human nature.