HUET, Christophe

The King Charles Spaniel is mentioned in documents dating from the 16th century, but it was only in England’s Stuart court during the 17th century that the breed became established. King Charles II (1630-1685) of England liked his spaniels the most and had many. The pets enjoyed a privileged status and could stroll freely inside the royal palaces.

This painting, a landscape with a young boy and a shepherdess with cows and sheep, is an example of Huet’s pastoral landscapes. It is reminiscent of similar scenes by Huet’s master, Francois Boucher,

Singerie is the French word for “Monkey Trick”. It is a genre depicting monkeys apeing human behaviour, often fashionably attired, intended as a diverting sight, always with a gentle cast of mild satire. Singeries were popular among French artists in the early 18th century, though the term is most usually reserved for a type of decorative painting associated with French Rococo. It originated with the French decorator and designer Jean Berain, who included dressed figures of monkeys in many of his arabesque wall decorations. The emergence of singerie as a distinct genre, however, is usually attributed to the decorator Claude III Audran, who in 1709 painted a large picture of monkeys seated at table for the Château de Marly. In France the most famous such rococo decor are Christophe Huet’s Grande Singerie and Petite Singerie decors at the Château de Chantilly.

The six canvases by Huet, which depict monkeys dressed up as humans and engaged in various country leisure activities, originally formed part of the decor of a salon in the Château de La Norville. The salon had paneling by the sculptor Nicolas Pineau, which framed the six singeries. In his design, Pineau positioned four of the canvases - The Fishermen, The Dance, The Picnic, and the Concert - as overdoors, while installing the remaining two - The Painter and The Sculptor - above pier glasses.

Singerie is the French word for “Monkey Trick”. It is a genre depicting monkeys apeing human behaviour, often fashionably attired, intended as a diverting sight, always with a gentle cast of mild satire. Singeries were popular among French artists in the early 18th century, though the term is most usually reserved for a type of decorative painting associated with French Rococo. It originated with the French decorator and designer Jean Berain, who included dressed figures of monkeys in many of his arabesque wall decorations. The emergence of singerie as a distinct genre, however, is usually attributed to the decorator Claude III Audran, who in 1709 painted a large picture of monkeys seated at table for the Château de Marly. In France the most famous such rococo decor are Christophe Huet’s Grande Singerie and Petite Singerie decors at the Château de Chantilly.

The six canvases by Huet, which depict monkeys dressed up as humans and engaged in various country leisure activities, originally formed part of the decor of a salon in the Château de La Norville. The salon had paneling by the sculptor Nicolas Pineau, which framed the six singeries. In his design, Pineau positioned four of the canvases - The Fishermen, The Dance, The Picnic, and the Concert - as overdoors, while installing the remaining two - The Painter and The Sculptor - above pier glasses.

Singerie is the French word for “Monkey Trick”. It is a genre depicting monkeys apeing human behaviour, often fashionably attired, intended as a diverting sight, always with a gentle cast of mild satire. Singeries were popular among French artists in the early 18th century, though the term is most usually reserved for a type of decorative painting associated with French Rococo. It originated with the French decorator and designer Jean Berain, who included dressed figures of monkeys in many of his arabesque wall decorations. The emergence of singerie as a distinct genre, however, is usually attributed to the decorator Claude III Audran, who in 1709 painted a large picture of monkeys seated at table for the Château de Marly. In France the most famous such rococo decor are Christophe Huet’s Grande Singerie and Petite Singerie decors at the Château de Chantilly.

The six canvases by Huet, which depict monkeys dressed up as humans and engaged in various country leisure activities, originally formed part of the decor of a salon in the Château de La Norville. The salon had paneling by the sculptor Nicolas Pineau, which framed the six singeries. In his design, Pineau positioned four of the canvases - The Fishermen, The Dance, The Picnic, and the Concert - as overdoors, while installing the remaining two - The Painter and The Sculptor - above pier glasses.

Singerie is the French word for “Monkey Trick”. It is a genre depicting monkeys apeing human behaviour, often fashionably attired, intended as a diverting sight, always with a gentle cast of mild satire. Singeries were popular among French artists in the early 18th century, though the term is most usually reserved for a type of decorative painting associated with French Rococo. It originated with the French decorator and designer Jean Berain, who included dressed figures of monkeys in many of his arabesque wall decorations. The emergence of singerie as a distinct genre, however, is usually attributed to the decorator Claude III Audran, who in 1709 painted a large picture of monkeys seated at table for the Château de Marly. In France the most famous such rococo decor are Christophe Huet’s Grande Singerie and Petite Singerie decors at the Château de Chantilly.

The six canvases by Huet, which depict monkeys dressed up as humans and engaged in various country leisure activities, originally formed part of the decor of a salon in the Château de La Norville. The salon had paneling by the sculptor Nicolas Pineau, which framed the six singeries. In his design, Pineau positioned four of the canvases - The Fishermen, The Dance, The Picnic, and the Concert - as overdoors, while installing the remaining two - The Painter and The Sculptor - above pier glasses.

Singerie is the French word for “Monkey Trick”. It is a genre depicting monkeys apeing human behaviour, often fashionably attired, intended as a diverting sight, always with a gentle cast of mild satire. Singeries were popular among French artists in the early 18th century, though the term is most usually reserved for a type of decorative painting associated with French Rococo. It originated with the French decorator and designer Jean Berain, who included dressed figures of monkeys in many of his arabesque wall decorations. The emergence of singerie as a distinct genre, however, is usually attributed to the decorator Claude III Audran, who in 1709 painted a large picture of monkeys seated at table for the Château de Marly. In France the most famous such rococo decor are Christophe Huet’s Grande Singerie and Petite Singerie decors at the Château de Chantilly.

The six canvases by Huet, which depict monkeys dressed up as humans and engaged in various country leisure activities, originally formed part of the decor of a salon in the Château de La Norville. The salon had paneling by the sculptor Nicolas Pineau, which framed the six singeries. In his design, Pineau positioned four of the canvases - The Fishermen, The Dance, The Picnic, and the Concert - as overdoors, while installing the remaining two - The Painter and The Sculptor - above pier glasses.

Singerie is the French word for “Monkey Trick”. It is a genre depicting monkeys apeing human behaviour, often fashionably attired, intended as a diverting sight, always with a gentle cast of mild satire. Singeries were popular among French artists in the early 18th century, though the term is most usually reserved for a type of decorative painting associated with French Rococo. It originated with the French decorator and designer Jean Berain, who included dressed figures of monkeys in many of his arabesque wall decorations. The emergence of singerie as a distinct genre, however, is usually attributed to the decorator Claude III Audran, who in 1709 painted a large picture of monkeys seated at table for the Château de Marly. In France the most famous such rococo decor are Christophe Huet’s Grande Singerie and Petite Singerie decors at the Château de Chantilly.

The six canvases by Huet, which depict monkeys dressed up as humans and engaged in various country leisure activities, originally formed part of the decor of a salon in the Château de La Norville. The salon had paneling by the sculptor Nicolas Pineau, which framed the six singeries. In his design, Pineau positioned four of the canvases - The Fishermen, The Dance, The Picnic, and the Concert - as overdoors, while installing the remaining two - The Painter and The Sculptor - above pier glasses.

Six drawings in the Mus�e de Beaux-Arts, Valenciennes are related to Huet’s Singerie series in Washington, but they postdate the paintings therefore cannot have been preparatory studies for the canvases. These drawings formed the basis for several prints in two series of engravings by Jean-Baptiste Gu�lard.

Six drawings in the Mus�e de Beaux-Arts, Valenciennes are related to Huet’s Singerie series in Washington, but they postdate the paintings therefore cannot have been preparatory studies for the canvases. These drawings formed the basis for several prints in two series of engravings by Jean-Baptiste Gu�lard.

This painting forms part a set of three decorative panels, possibly conceived originally as a set of four - two western and two oriental subjects. Each panel features pairs of lovers. The lovers in the present painting are dressed in the Turkish costume, the fashion for which was popularised in eighteenth-century France through the paintings and drawings of Boucher, Le Prince and Carle van Loo and the pastels of Liotard.

The series is likely to have been painted for an eighteenth-century French town-house or château. The other two panels, entitled The Picnic and The Toast, showing pairs of lovers in western costume, are now in a private collection.