Monkey Preaching to Turkeys

Description

This work belongs to a genre of imagery called singerie, which depicts monkeys dressed in human clothes parodying the actions of people. Here, a monkey preaches to a flock of turkeys from a wicker basket pulpit hanging from a tree. The turkeys, interpreted as symbols of foolishness, are deceived by the cunning primate in the disguise of a monk’s habit.

Provenance

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Monkey Preaching to Turkeys

Christophe Huet

1750–1800

Accession Number

2017.215

Medium

Gouache

Dimensions

Sheet: 32.2 x 39.6 cm (12 11/16 x 15 9/16 in.)

Classification

Drawing

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Bequest of Muriel Butkin