Monnik met uitgestoken tong Possibly 1670 - 1724

Curator: Here we have "Monnik met uitgestoken tong," or "Monk with Tongue Sticking Out," an engraving possibly created between 1670 and 1724 by Jacob Gole. It’s currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: Oh, wow, what a character! There’s something unsettlingly hilarious about this monk. He's got this knowing, almost leering, quality to him. You immediately feel like he’s about to spill some scandalous secret. Curator: Indeed. Gole has deployed the precise and unforgiving lines of the engraving medium to underscore caricature. Note the extreme profile view. We can see the emphasis on exaggerated features, the bulbous nose, the thin wisp of hair, and, of course, the protruding tongue. The sharp contrasts contribute to a grotesque, yet compelling, image. Editor: It's also hard to overlook what looks like a jester's bauble attached to his hood...it gives him a sort of sly knowing air, a devilish impishness that belies the supposed piety suggested by the monk's habit. There's even something very modern about the way the lines create textures of skin, clothes, and air, all very evocative. Curator: Yes, the textures, and the tonal range achieved in this engraving is subtle, despite its relatively small scale. There is writing inscribed at the base; it labels the subject of the caricature as a Charlatan. The verses continue that his flattery disguises him and describes him as calling the shopkeeper a cheat and his wife a… well, an unfortunate term. Editor: So, beneath the surface of this ridiculous caricature lurks a deeper cut? Like a satirical barb aimed at hypocrisy? This feels like poking fun at those who are sanctimonious yet corrupt, those that preach water while secretly drinking wine. Curator: Precisely. The inscription tells us that this image goes far beyond just visual comedy. It speaks to a critical perspective on religious figures of the period. Editor: It’s interesting how something so old and rendered in such a rigid format can still provoke a giggle. It makes you wonder what the person Gole based the image on thought! Curator: It certainly leaves one to contemplate the nuances of perception and power. A complex commentary disguised as something merely silly, wouldn’t you say?