Fabelen van J. De la Fontaine in Nederduitsche vaerzen. (set of 4), Amsterdam, Johannes Allart, 1805.

The French author Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) was one of the most influential fable writers of all time. Although his stories are loosely based on the work of old masters like Aesopus and Phaedrus, they were of such quality that they became immensely popular. De la Fontaine belonged to the so called Classicists, which meant that he took his inspiration from Greek and Roman antiquity. These views made him an opponent of Charles Perrault (1628-1703), the other famous story writer of the time, who thought that modern literature was superior to that of the olden days. The illustrations of Jan Punt (1711-1779) and Reinier Vinkeles (1741-1816) are a beautiful replenishment to the text of La Fontaine. Vinkeles, who was the student of Punt, outshined his master later in life with his close to nature engravings.