Schilderende aap 1727

Aert Schouman's 1727 etching, "Schilderende aap," is a humorous portrayal of a monkey dressed in human clothing, seated at an easel, and painting a figure on a canvas. The monkey holds a brush and a palette, and its attention is focused on its artwork. The scene is rendered in black and white, with fine lines creating the details. The artist's satirical take on the human world through the lens of an animal is a testament to the rich tradition of animal depictions in art, highlighting the human's own vulnerabilities.