- An assemblage of monkeys, in a park, dressed as humans
- B.M.801
- 18th century
- French
Length: 31.4 cm
Width: 39.3 cm
Length: With Frame 45 cm
Width: With Frame 53 cm
Depth: With Frame 4 cm
Mimicking as humans, a group of monkeys listen to one of them reading from a newspaper, whilst a young one is scratching the earth with a stick. The singerie genre appeared in Flanders in the 17th century. In this kind of painting, the monkeys are humanised to reveal the mediocrity of humanity and the futility of man's actions. Here we can therefore interpret this work as a cynical view of the aristocracy and the clergy, as one of the monkeys is dressed as a priest.