Two monkeys and five birds are painted in meticulous detail against a mostly pearl-white background on this horizontal composition. A spindly tree trunk grows up each side of the painting, and a few tufts of grass are tucked near the trees and at the bottom center of the composition. A red-furred monkey crouches holding a piece of fruit at the center of the painting, and a second piece of fruit lies nearby. Another, lemur-like monkey clings to a tree growing up the right edge, peering at us. A teal-blue parrot perches on a branch above that second monkey, and a hefty, yellow and green bird…
Gallery mode Full size at the museum

Window mode follows your eyes with your camera, in this browser only: no picture or position leaves your device.

Study of Birds and Monkeys

painter Anonymous Artist

Circle of related artist Jan van Kessel the Elder (Flemish, 1626 - 1679)

1660/1670

Medium
oil on copper
Classification
Painting
Dimensions
overall: 10.5 x 17.2 cm (4 1/8 x 6 3/4 in.)
Culture
Flemish
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CNE-B
Credit line
Gift of John Dimick
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art