Barbershop with Monkeys and Cats by Abraham Teniers (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Barbershop with Monkeys and Cats by Abraham Teniers
Barbershop with Monkeys and Cats
Source: Kunsthistorisches Museum
In honor of April fools day, I want to talk about a particularly silly, humorous painting: Dutch painter Abraham Teniers’ Barbershop with Monkeys and Cats.

This painting is undeniably whimsical. It depicts monkeys waiting on cats in a seventeenth century barbershop. Throughout the history of Europe, it was common for barbers to act as dentists and sometimes even surgeons in addition to cutting hair. Here, we see cats having their whiskers trimmed and injuries tended in comically complete detail. The painting is a highly accurate depiction of everyday life (notwithstanding the lack of people); the barber’s implements are depicted in meticulous detail and the poses of the cats and monkeys are remarkably human.

This sort of piece (one that depicts everyday life) is known as a genre painting. These paintings gained popularity in the early modern period, correlating with the rise of the middle class in Europe. As merchants and business people became ever more prosperous, they began to demand art that reflected their own lives.

Monkey paintings (a type of painting known as singeries) were a particularly popular sub-genre of genre paintings. Singeries typically include monkeys behaving like humans and performing human tasks. They gained popularity in Europe during the seventeenth century because, well, they’re entertaining. However, in my opinion Teniers’ Barbershop with Monkeys and Cats is the most charming example of the genre. His monkeys and cats are particularly lively, displaying personality and engaging vivacity.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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