Monkey Playing a Violin
ca. 1710â1720
Classification
ornament
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor Garnier Hewitt
Accession Number
1931-65-145
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Jean-Antoine Watteau, a master of the French Rococo style, crafted *Monkey Playing a Violin* 1710–1720, during the height of his career in early 18th-century Paris. Known for his enchanting *fêtes galantes*—elegant outdoor scenes filled with masquerade and music—this whimsical work captures Watteau's playful spirit. Depicting a monkey as a virtuoso musician, it reflects the era's fascination with the *singeries*, decorative motifs of monkeys aping human behaviors, which blended humor with refinement in ornamental art. Classified as an ornament and housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum...