Monkey Preaching to Turkeys

second half of 18th century

Monkey Preaching to Turkeys, second half of 18th century. Circle of Christophe Huet (French, 1700–1759). Gouache; sheet: 32.2 x 39.6 cm (12 11/16 x 15 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2017.215 This work belongs to a genre of imagery called singerie, which depicts monkeys dressed in human clothes parodying the actions of people. Here, a monkey preaches to a flock of turkeys from a wicker basket pulpit hanging from a tree. The turkeys, interpreted as symbols of foolishness, are deceived by the cunning primate in the disguise of a monk’s habit.