Sunday, February 06, 2011

monkey with ball and chain

We went to the Norton Gallery of Art today and saw a load of interesting stuff, but what really still stands out in my mind are two paintings from the European gallery, both featuring "fettered monkeys."

Monkey with ball and chain

According to the Courtauld, "Fettered monkeys, like this one, are traditionally used to symbolize man entrapped by earthly and sensual desires." and that "The monkey shown here ... would have been an object of curiosity and wonder in his own right. He is thus as "collectable" as the ... portrait ... that stands nearby."

Monkey with ball and chain
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