Singerie is the name given to a visual arts genre depicting monkeys imitating human behavior, often fashionably attired, intended as a diverting sight, using satire. The term is derived from the French word for "Monkey Trick".
Barbershop with monkeys and cats, Abraham Teniers, mid-17th century
Though it has a long history, the height of the genre was in the 18th century, in the Rococo.
The practise can be traced as far back as Ancient Egypt; Cyril Aldred detected a love of singerie that he found characteristic of the late Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt;[1] Throughout the medieval period in Europe, monkeys were seen "as a symbol of downgraded humanity",[2] and were used to mimic man and his foibles, often appearing in the margins of illuminated manuscripts.[3][4]
Comical scenes with monkeys appearing in human attire and a human environment originated as a pictorial genre in Flemish painting in the 16th century and were further developed in the 17th century. The Flemish engraver Pieter van der Borcht introduced the singerie as an independent theme around 1575 in a series of prints, which are strongly embedded in the artistic tradition of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, whose 1562 Two Monkeys probably started the craze. These prints were widely disseminated and the theme was then picked up by other Flemish artists, in particular by those in Antwerp such as Frans Francken the Younger, Jan Brueghel the Elder and the Younger, Sebastiaen Vrancx and Jan van Kessel the Elder. David Teniers the Younger became the principal practitioner of the genre and developed it further with his younger brother Abraham Teniers. The two brothers were able to cater to the prevailing taste in the art market and were thus instrumental in spreading the genre outside Flanders. Later in the 17th century artists like Nicolaes van Verendael, principally known as a painter of flower still lifes started to paint ‘monkey scenes’ as well.[5]
Singeries became popular among French artists in the early 18th century. French decorator and designer Jean Berain the Elder included dressed figures of monkeys in many wall decorations, the great royal ébénisteAndré Charles Boulle used them in his work[6] and Watteau painted The Monkey Sculptor, a critique of art and artists' habit of "aping" nature.[7]
A complete monkey orchestra, the "Monkey Band" (Affenkapelle, "ape orchestra" in German) was produced in Meissen porcelain, and copied by Chelsea porcelain and other factories. In France the most famous such rococo decor are Christophe Huet's Grande Singerie and Petite Singerie decors at the Château de Chantilly, the basis for the Meissen figures. In England the French painter Andieu de Clermont is also known for his singeries: the most famous decorates the ceiling of the Monkey Room at Monkey Island Hotel, located on Monkey Island in Bray-on-Thames, England. The Grade I listed buildings, which have housed guests since 1840 were built in the 1740s by Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough.
^Cyril Alfred, 1955. New Kingdom Art in Ancient Egypt
^Jean H. Duffy (2003). Signs and Designs: Art and Architecture in the Work of Michel Butor. Liverpool University Press. pp. 267–. ISBN978-0-85323-788-4.
^Nicole Garnier-Pelle; Anne Forray-Carlier; Marie-Christine Anselm (2011). The Monkeys of Christophe Huet: Singeries in French Decorative Arts. J. Paul Getty Museum. ISBN978-1-60606-065-0.
^Charles Taylor (1807). The Literary Panorama. p. 427. The prayer book written for Charles V. of Austria by his mistress, had, on every page, monkeys mimicking religious ceremonies, in the most incongruous manner
^Bert Schepers, Monkey Madness in Seventeenth-Century Antwerp, in: The Rubenianum Quarterly, 2012 2, p. 5
^R.H. Randall Jr, "Templates for Boulle Singerie" The Burlington Magazine111 No. 798 (September 1969), pp. 549-553.
^Lucia Impelluso (2004). Nature and Its Symbols. Getty Publications. pp. 201–. ISBN978-0-89236-772-6.
^Zacharias Noterman, Les Plaideurs ('The Litigants') at Art of the Print
Sund, July (2019). Exotic: A Fetish for the Foreign. Phaidon. ISBN978-0-7148-7637-5.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Singeries.
"The Singerie: Monkeys acting as Humans in Art" Public Domain Review article with many images
Depictions of monkeys in medieval manuscripts Pinterest
February 28, 2024
singerie, name, given, visual, arts, genre, depicting, monkeys, imitating, human, behavior, often, fashionably, attired, intended, diverting, sight, using, satire, term, derived, from, french, word, monkey, trick, barbershop, with, monkeys, cats, abraham, teni. Singerie is the name given to a visual arts genre depicting monkeys imitating human behavior often fashionably attired intended as a diverting sight using satire The term is derived from the French word for Monkey Trick Barbershop with monkeys and cats Abraham Teniers mid 17th centuryThough it has a long history the height of the genre was in the 18th century in the Rococo Contents 1 History 2 Gallery 3 Notes 4 References 5 External linksHistory editThe practise can be traced as far back as Ancient Egypt Cyril Aldred detected a love of singerie that he found characteristic of the late Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt 1 Throughout the medieval period in Europe monkeys were seen as a symbol of downgraded humanity 2 and were used to mimic man and his foibles often appearing in the margins of illuminated manuscripts 3 4 nbsp A copy of The Monkey Sculptor by Antoine Watteau c 1710Comical scenes with monkeys appearing in human attire and a human environment originated as a pictorial genre in Flemish painting in the 16th century and were further developed in the 17th century The Flemish engraver Pieter van der Borcht introduced the singerie as an independent theme around 1575 in a series of prints which are strongly embedded in the artistic tradition of Pieter Bruegel the Elder whose 1562 Two Monkeys probably started the craze These prints were widely disseminated and the theme was then picked up by other Flemish artists in particular by those in Antwerp such as Frans Francken the Younger Jan Brueghel the Elder and the Younger Sebastiaen Vrancx and Jan van Kessel the Elder David Teniers the Younger became the principal practitioner of the genre and developed it further with his younger brother Abraham Teniers The two brothers were able to cater to the prevailing taste in the art market and were thus instrumental in spreading the genre outside Flanders Later in the 17th century artists like Nicolaes van Verendael principally known as a painter of flower still lifes started to paint monkey scenes as well 5 Singeries became popular among French artists in the early 18th century French decorator and designer Jean Berain the Elder included dressed figures of monkeys in many wall decorations the great royal ebeniste Andre Charles Boulle used them in his work 6 and Watteau painted The Monkey Sculptor a critique of art and artists habit of aping nature 7 nbsp The art experts by Emmanuel NotermanA complete monkey orchestra the Monkey Band Affenkapelle ape orchestra in German was produced in Meissen porcelain and copied by Chelsea porcelain and other factories In France the most famous such rococo decor are Christophe Huet s Grande Singerie and Petite Singerie decors at the Chateau de Chantilly the basis for the Meissen figures In England the French painter Andieu de Clermont is also known for his singeries the most famous decorates the ceiling of the Monkey Room at Monkey Island Hotel located on Monkey Island in Bray on Thames England The Grade I listed buildings which have housed guests since 1840 were built in the 1740s by Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough Singeries regained popularity in the 19th century and artists then successful in this genre included Zacharie Noterman Emmanuel Noterman Charles Verlat Sir Edwin Henry Landseer Edmund Bristow Alexandre Gabriel Decamps Charles Monginot fr and Paul Friedrich Meyerheim 8 Gallery edit nbsp Detail from the Grande Singerie by Christophe Huet 1737 oil on panel Chateau de Chantilly Chantilly France 9 nbsp Le Concert de singes c 1755 1760 gilt bronze Vincennes porcelain flowers and hand paste Meissen porcelain figurines Petit Palais ParisNotes edit Cyril Alfred 1955 New Kingdom Art in Ancient Egypt Jean H Duffy 2003 Signs and Designs Art and Architecture in the Work of Michel Butor Liverpool University Press pp 267 ISBN 978 0 85323 788 4 Nicole Garnier Pelle Anne Forray Carlier Marie Christine Anselm 2011 The Monkeys of Christophe Huet Singeries in French Decorative Arts J Paul Getty Museum ISBN 978 1 60606 065 0 Charles Taylor 1807 The Literary Panorama p 427 The prayer book written for Charles V of Austria by his mistress had on every page monkeys mimicking religious ceremonies in the most incongruous manner Bert Schepers Monkey Madness in Seventeenth Century Antwerp in The Rubenianum Quarterly 2012 2 p 5 R H Randall Jr Templates for Boulle Singerie The Burlington Magazine 111 No 798 September 1969 pp 549 553 Lucia Impelluso 2004 Nature and Its Symbols Getty Publications pp 201 ISBN 978 0 89236 772 6 Zacharias Noterman Les Plaideurs The Litigants at Art of the Print Sund 2019 p 110 References editSund July 2019 Exotic A Fetish for the Foreign Phaidon ISBN 978 0 7148 7637 5 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Singeries The Singerie Monkeys acting as Humans in Art Public Domain Review article with many images Depictions of monkeys in medieval manuscripts Pinterest Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Singerie amp oldid 1194557112, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
