Monkeys in the school

The composition features figures seated at desks holding books and quills, mimicking human scholars, while others stand or crouch on the floor.

Painted in 1660, Monkeys in the School is a genre scene by the Flemish Baroque master David Teniers the Younger. The work depicts an interior classroom populated entirely by anthropomorphic monkeys engaged in satirical educational activities. The composition features figures seated at desks holding books and quills, mimicking human scholars, while others stand or crouch on the floor. A focal point in the foreground shows one monkey bending over another dressed in a red robe, suggesting a dynamic of instruction or correction. Teniers frequently employed monkeys in his oeuvre to critique human folly, vanity, and the pretensions of the learned classes, a tradition rooted in earlier Netherlandish art. This specific painting exemplifies his mature style, characterized by precise observation, lively narrative detail, and a sophisticated use of light to define the crowded space. Created during the later phase of his career, the work reflects his continued popularity among collectors for witty, moralizing genre paintings that blend humor with social commentary. The piece stands as a representative example of his satirical approach to genre painting, utilizing animal allegory to reflect on human behavior without direct religious or historical subject matter.