Art Institute of Chicago

The Ape Tied in a Courtyard

Jean de Gourmont

Date

1520/30

Medium

Engraving in black on cream laid paper

Culture

France

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Exotic animals made popular pets in the early modern era (from the late 15th to 18th centuries), as seen in the extravagant courtyard depicted in this roundel. The ape’s owner cannot be far off, as it is attached to the wall; the lone pear the animal attempts to reach with its foot has been left cruelly just out of reach.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.