Monkeys acting as Humans

The Singerie: Monkeys acting as Humans in Art

Singerie — from the French for “Monkey Trick” — is a genre of art in which monkeys are depicted aping human behaviour. Although the practise can be traced as far back as Ancient Egypt, it wasn’t until the 16th century that the idea really took off and emerged as a distinct genre. Some of its most famous champions include the Flemish engraver Pieter van der Borcht (whose 1575 series of singerie prints were widely disseminated), Jan Brueghel the Elder, and the the two Teniers brothers, David Teniers the Younger and his younger brother Abraham Teniers. Into the 18th century the genre saw great popularity in France, particularly in the guise of the “singe peintre” (monkey painter), which offered up a perfect parody of the art world’s pomposity. With monkeys, along with apes, being our closest cognates in the animal world, they proved the perfect medium for the satirising of society, which so often thinks itself “above” the animal kingdom. Singeries have proved popular all the way into the 21st century, notably in the fantastic work of the American artist Walton Ford.

	Various: see source.
	Underlying Work: PD Worldwide | Digital Copy: see source.
	Download: Right click on image or see source for higher res versions

Kwakzalver [Quack], by Pieter van der Borcht (I), ca. late 16th century. 

A charlatan doctor sells a cure (seemingly for hangovers, though perhaps for hair loss)

 — Source.

Backgammon-playing baboons, 17th century, artist unknown — Source.

Marskramer door apen beroofd [The Sleeping Pedlar Robbed by Monkeys], a 1562 engraving 

by Pieter van der Heyden after Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s take on the popular folk motive — Source.

 

Later version of the above image, by Pieter Feddes Harlingen, ca. early 17th century — Source.

Tabakskollegium [Tobacco Club], Abraham Teniers, mid-17th century — Source.

Apen op School [Monkeys in school ], David Teniers the Younger (brother of Abraham above), circa 1660 — Source.

Wem Sehen wir gleich? A qui resemblons nous? [Who Do We Look Like?], artist unknown, late-18th century — Source.

Le singe peintre [The Monkey Painter], Jean-Baptiste Deshays, ca. 1745 — Source.

Le singe peintre, aussi dit Intérieur d’atelier [The Monkey Painter, also called Workshop Interior.], Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps, ca. 1833 — Source.

Le singe peintre [The Monkey Painter], follower of Ferdinand van Kessel, ca. 17th century — Source.

Aap op zijn ziekbed [Monkey on his Sickbed], Leonard Schenk, 1720 — Source.

A monkey physician examining a cat patient for fleas, artist unknown, date unknown — Source.

Das Katzenkonzert [The Concert of Cats], David Teniers the Younger, 17th century — Source.

A monkey in elegant costume is addressing a group of wild monkeys under a tree, engraving by B.P. Gibbon after an oil painting by E. H. Landseer, ca. 1828 — Source.

For What Was I Created?, William Holbrook Beard, ca. 1886 — Source.

Beviamo tutti tre [We Drink All Three], after Edmund Bristow, 1836 — Source.

Singerie with smoking pipe, David Teniers the Younger, 17th century — Source.

The Laundry from a series of eighteen “singerie” prints by Pieter van der Borcht, ca.1562 — Source.

Singerie with monkey soldiers taking a cat prisoner, backgammon playing monkeys to the right, Sebastian Vrancx, early-17th century — Source.

Two monkeys play backgammon, etching after David Teniers the Younger, 1635-1668 — Source.

Letzte Vorstellung [Last Performance], Gabriel von Max, ca. 1885 — Source.

A Japanese style monkey wearing a black hat and red shirt while holding a fan and a flower, artist unknown, ca. 19th century — Source.

Singerie of a barbershop, engraving after Pieter van der Borcht, ca. 16th century — Source.

Die tabakrauchende Affenrunde [The Tobacco Smoking Monkeys], attributed to Ferdinand van Kessel, 17th century — Source.

Le Singe sculpteur [The Monkey Sculptor], Antoine Watteau, ca. 1710 — Source.

---

Tags: David Teniers the Younger, Jan Brueghel the Elder, monkeys, Pieter van der Borcht, singerie

Contents of an Ostrich’s Stomach (ca. 1930)

An unusual image captured by Frederick William Bond, photographer at the Zoological Society of London. Contents included a couple of handkerchiefs, a buttoned glove, a length of rope, a plain handkerchief, and a four-inch nail. …Continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Death and Burial of Cock Robin

The Death of Cock Robin, also known as The Death and Burial of Cock Robin is a somewhat macabre English nursery rhyme describing the murder …Continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  vughal India, of Zakariya al-Qazwini's medieval treatise on all things wondrous. …Continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Difficulty of Ruling over a Diverse Nation (1578)

16th-century Dutch engraving depicting a fantastical animal with the heads of various other animals sprouting from its body: an allegory for the difficulty of ruling …Continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comparative Physiognomy: or, Resemblances Between Men and Animals (1852)

A book concerned with comparing animals with human faces, in particular those belonging to various nations and ethnic groups. …Continued

Topsell’s History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents (1658)

Totalling more than 1000 pages this brilliantly illustrated treatise on zoology, explores ancient and fantastic legends about existing animals, as well as those at the more mythic end of the spectrum, including the Hydra, Lamia, and Mantichora. …Continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NYPL Release 187k Public Domain Images in Hi-Res

Our selection of highlights from an afternoon's browsing of the NYPL's massive new public domain release — a selection which we hope shows the breadth …Continued

 

 

 

 

 

Robin Redbreast (1907)

A song about the rouge chested bird composed by Reginald De Koven, featuring some wonderful whistling to mimic the bird's call. …Continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The First Circus (1921)

Two animations by Tony Sarg: one an untitled film critiquing the Prohibition of the 20s via the medium of drunk monkeys, the other a series …Continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caw! Caw! or The Chronicle of Crows (ca. 1848)

A story of a group of crows attacked by a farmer, beautifully ilustrated by Jemima Blackburn. …Continued







 

 

Shells and other Marine Life from Albertus Seba’s Cabinet of Natural Curiosities (1734)

A selection of plates from Albertus Seba's cabinet of natural curiosities, focusing on his elaborate and highly decorative presentations of shells and other marine life. …Continued

Bird Gods (1898)

A book on various birds from mythology by the American linguist, poet, and critic Charles DeKay (1848-1935). …Continued

The majority of the digital copies featured are in the public domain or under an open license all over the world, however, some works may not be so in all jurisdictions. On each Collections post we've done our best to indicate which rights we think apply, so please do check and look into more detail
where necessary, before reusing. All articles published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license. If you wish to reuse our material please refer to our attribution policy. Strong Freedom in the Zone.