Schermleraar 1733 - 1792

Editor: Here we have Jean Baptiste Guélard’s "Schermleraar," dating sometime between 1733 and 1792. It's a print or engraving depicting two monkeys engaged in a fencing match. I’m struck by how bizarrely formal it is, considering the subject matter. What social commentary might Guélard be making here? Curator: That’s a keen observation. Consider the rise of the Enlightenment and the burgeoning social critiques of the 18th century. These "singeries," or monkey paintings, became a popular way to satirize human behavior and institutions, often commenting on class, education, or even political ineptitude. It's not just about depicting monkeys doing human things; it's about asking who exactly is acting like a monkey? Editor: So, the fencing match could be a stand-in for some kind of social performance or power dynamic? The master perhaps representing… what exactly? Curator: It's open to interpretation. Perhaps the pretension of the aristocracy, clumsily mimicking elegance and martial prowess. Look at the discarded clothing on the ground, the formal attire of the monkeys themselves, the meticulous technique used to render this absurd scene: they're all elements contributing to a message, highlighting how humans adopt elaborate rituals and social codes that, in the end, are maybe just as silly as monkeys fencing. Do you see the link? Editor: Absolutely. It seems like a critique of how we create hierarchies and attempt to display status through learned skills and dress. Curator: And who benefits from those displays, and who is excluded? Who creates the institutions that support those codes? The artwork acts as a mirror, forcing us to confront the artifice of our own societies. Editor: I hadn’t considered the layers of societal commentary beneath what I initially took as just a funny image. Thank you. Curator: It shows how art often holds a magnifying glass to our world, revealing uncomfortable truths through playful subversion.