Le Moulin Merveilleux – The Miraculous Mill – Imagerie Pellerin Wood Engraving

The “Imagerie d’Epinal” established in 1796 by Jean Charles Pellerin popularized printed images of everyday scenes. The pochoir (hand painted using templates) woodcuts of military subjects,  storybook characters and a wide range of folk themes were widely distributed throughout the 19th century.

In this scene, the owner of the mill of miracles promises husbands that for a certain sum he can process their wives through the Mill and they will emerge perfect and cured of all their vices. In the text below the illustration, eight husbands talk about the hoped for transformation of their spouses, and the miller (meunier) touts the miracles of his process.

Dimensions: 38 x 50 cm