the story of RENARD THE FOX goes back to a 1498 version REYNKE DE VOS and became throughout the 16th century within the german-speaking countries a bestseller. it is the story of the mean, smart fox who always succeeds with his lies and triumphs in the end over his opponents. JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE wrote his famous version in 1794.
illustration below – WILHELM VON KAULBACH, REINEKE FUCHS ALS SIEGER, 1846 published in munich.
inspirations for the epic fox-story exist already around 1040 – ECBASIS CAPTIVI – a satire in latin language about a trial of a lion against a fox. then between 1170 and 1250 another version ROMAN DE RENART developed developed in northern france. here the smart fox triumphs as well over the strong lionking NOBLE and the dumb, greedy wolf YSENGRIN.
illustration below – a page from a 1592 publication REYNEKE VOSZ DE OLDE.
probably during the sixties KEN ANDERSON worked in the DISNEY STUDIO on a version of RENARD THE FOX, his studies below look like they are from that project. I am not one hundred percent sure, maybe someone else has some more information.
© disney enterprises, inc
© wikipedia
my name is hans bacher, – I work as production designer in the animation film industry. for the last 45 years I lived and worked in exciting places around the world. after 7 years of teaching in singapore I am back at my homebase in manila, working on a few more books.
One1more2time3's Weblog 
I have fond memories of that book .I could sit and watch it for hours,because of all the little details in Kaulbachs drawings!Would have been a great Disney movie!
from hans –
I think they mixed all different things the disney way – and out of it came ROBIN HOOD in 1973…
Yes, Hans…that artwork is from CHANTICLEER. Anderson’s top illustration ‘sources’ a T. S. Sullivant drawing of a tiger yelling at a monkey called “AM I RIGHT?” (The drawing wa collected by T. Hee and is in the Disney library. T. gave all his Cal Arts students a copy, stamped with Disney’s watermark.)
A book about Chanticleer using Marc Davis’ illustrations from the project was published a few years ago. He had his characters in 19th century clothing, while Anderson used 18th century fashions. This project was supposed to be the first Xeroxed movie, and Walt Disney found the designs had too much pencil mileage…so he okayed 101 DALMATIANS instead!
(Only at Disney would a film with 100 spotted dogs be considered ‘easier’ than ANYTHING.)
from hans –
thank you for the details, nancy. great information!
and so these Anderson sketches are earlier than the Sixties….probably late Fifties..
Here you go, you can get the Davis book for as little as three dollars!
I thought it was Bill Peet that killed off Chanticleer with his comment in the meeting. “That you can’t make a personnality out of a chicken”. This film was to follow 101 Dalmations but Peet got his Sword in the Stone film after the meeting died from his comment? It’s in Harry Title’s book, One of Walt’s boys.
from hans –
you are right! wow, you have the tytle book too. there are only a few.
Bill Peet also mentions it in his own book. I spotted the Tytle book in a second hand book shop off of Charing Cross Rd, London. It must have been something that drew me into this shop on that day.
Speaking of Reynard, Van Eaton Galleries had some artwork they mislabeled as “Robin Hood” that were concept sketches Bill Peet made from his tenure on the Reynard project you can check out here!
http://www.vegalleries.com/newart2012nov.html