GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Cornelis Saftleven's richly detailed painting offers a humorous critique of academic pursuits. A donkey appears to fall asleep while reading a book, while a pig lying on the ground is preoccupied with smoking rather than intellectual discussion. Objects such as the playing cards strewn across the ground also hint at idleness rather than scholarly productivity. Animal satires were popular in the 17-century Dutch Republic, but Saftleven's painting is unusual in that it contains imagery associated with other genres, including witchcraft scenes. These potentially diabolical aspects include bones suspended from the tree trunk and hybridized animals such as the anthropomorphic owl seated on a skull. The scene may also reference contemporary literature or political events, as Saftleven executed at least one animal satire painting based on a political play from the period. Such varied sources suggest that College of Animals conveyed symbolic significance to 17th-century audiences, but these potential meanings remain unknown today, endowing the scene with ambiguity.
Excerpt from
Bonnie Pitman, ed., "College of Animals," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 155.
NOTES
Created 1655
Checked Piction, TMS done.
Related Objects (found in TMS):
Cornelis Saftleven, "Who Sues for a Cow," c. 1629, oil on panel, 60 x 82 cm. Collection of the Boijmans Museum, Rotterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Animal Allegory in Landscape," c. 1629, oil on wood, 47 x 62 cm. Hoogsteder, The Hague;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Animal Allegory," c. 1629, oil on wood, 49 x 70 cm. Collection of the National Gallery, Prague;
Cornelis Saftleven, "The Greedy after Gold," c. 1630, oil on wood, 26.8 x 32.6 cm. Collection of Musée Magnin;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Job," c. 1631, oil on wood, 57.5 x 80 cm. Collection of the Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Cutting Death (Schnitter Tod)," c. 1649, oil on canvas, 68.6 x 98.5 cm. Collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Tymon the Magician," c. 1660, oil on wood, 39 x 49.5 cm. Collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen;
Cornelis Saftleven, "The Folly of Humanity," 1663, 61 x 76 cm. Unknown private collection;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Satire on the Trial of Johan van Oldenbarneveldt," 1663, 63 x 86 cm. Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam;
"Interior with Bird Concert (Vogelkonzert)," ink with gray and color washes, 264 x 231 mm. Collection of Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
"Interior with Cat Concert (Katzenkonzert)," ink with gray and color washes, 261 x 228 mm. Collection of Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Scene with Demons and Fantastic Creatures," 1629, black chalk, 184 x 228 mm. Collection of Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kassel;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Scene with Demons and Fantastic Creatures," 1630, black chalk, 184 x 228 mm. Collection of Kunsthalle Kupferstichkabinett, Hamburg;
Cornelis Saftleven, "An Enchanted Cellar with Animals," c. 1655-1670, black and red chalk, gray and brown wash, and watercolor, 10 1/8 x 12 5/8 in. Collection of the Getty Institute, Los Angeles;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Two Demons (lit. Two Marvelous Animals), " black chalk, 385 x 260 mm. Collection of the Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Lion," black chalk with brown and reddish-brown wash, 217 x 285 mm. Collection of the Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Head of a Dog Facing Right," black chalk and wash, 235 x 308 mm. Collection of the Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "interior with Bagpipe Player, "1635, oil on wood, 38.5 x 53.5 cm. Collection of the National Gallery, Prague;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Scene with Cows," 1652, oil on wood, 36 x 29 cm. Private collection, Wassenaar;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Diablerie, Interior with a Goat Eating an Oyster," 62.9 x 82.5. Sold at Christie's London 1985.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Saftleven, Cornelis (Dutch, 1607-1681)
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: Rotterdam (Netherlands): TGN: 7006792
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- Birmingham Museum of Art~View an engraving of the artist by Lucas Vorsterman after Anthony van Dyck.
- The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles~Read a biography of the artist from the Getty.
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam~Check out another satirical animal painting by Saftleven titled Satire on the trial of Johan van Oldenbarneveldt, 1663.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- Cornelis Saftleven is satirizing a wide range of intellectual pursuits and affectations common in his time: the tedious discussions of academic clubs, the mania for curio collecting, and the infatuation with romantic poems about knighthood. Next to the smoking pig is a copy of Amadis de Guale, a very popular tale of a medieval knight.
TEACHING IDEAS
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General Description
Cornelis Saftleven's richly detailed painting offers a humorous critique of academic pursuits. A donkey appears to fall asleep while reading a book, while a pig lying on the ground is preoccupied with smoking rather than intellectual discussion. Objects such as the playing cards strewn across the ground also hint at idleness rather than scholarly productivity. Animal satires were popular in the 17-century Dutch Republic, but Saftleven's painting is unusual in that it contains imagery associated with other genres, including witchcraft scenes. These potentially diabolical aspects include bones suspended from the tree trunk and hybridized animals such as the anthropomorphic owl seated on a skull. The scene may also reference contemporary literature or political events, as Saftleven executed at least one animal satire painting based on a political play from the period. Such varied sources suggest that College of Animals conveyed symbolic significance to 17th-century audiences, but these potential meanings remain unknown today, endowing the scene with ambiguity.
Excerpt from
Bonnie Pitman, ed., "College of Animals," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 155.
Fun Facts
- Cornelis Saftleven is satirizing a wide range of intellectual pursuits and affectations common in his time: the tedious discussions of academic clubs, the mania for curio collecting, and the infatuation with romantic poems about knighthood. Next to the smoking pig is a copy of Amadis de Guale, a very popular tale of a medieval knight.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- Birmingham Museum of Art~View an engraving of the artist by Lucas Vorsterman after Anthony van Dyck.
- The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles~Read a biography of the artist from the Getty.
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam~Check out another satirical animal painting by Saftleven titled Satire on the trial of Johan van Oldenbarneveldt, 1663.
Notes
Created 1655
Checked Piction, TMS done.
Related Objects (found in TMS):
Cornelis Saftleven, "Who Sues for a Cow," c. 1629, oil on panel, 60 x 82 cm. Collection of the Boijmans Museum, Rotterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Animal Allegory in Landscape," c. 1629, oil on wood, 47 x 62 cm. Hoogsteder, The Hague;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Animal Allegory," c. 1629, oil on wood, 49 x 70 cm. Collection of the National Gallery, Prague;
Cornelis Saftleven, "The Greedy after Gold," c. 1630, oil on wood, 26.8 x 32.6 cm. Collection of Musée Magnin;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Job," c. 1631, oil on wood, 57.5 x 80 cm. Collection of the Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Cutting Death (Schnitter Tod)," c. 1649, oil on canvas, 68.6 x 98.5 cm. Collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Tymon the Magician," c. 1660, oil on wood, 39 x 49.5 cm. Collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen;
Cornelis Saftleven, "The Folly of Humanity," 1663, 61 x 76 cm. Unknown private collection;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Satire on the Trial of Johan van Oldenbarneveldt," 1663, 63 x 86 cm. Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam;
"Interior with Bird Concert (Vogelkonzert)," ink with gray and color washes, 264 x 231 mm. Collection of Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
"Interior with Cat Concert (Katzenkonzert)," ink with gray and color washes, 261 x 228 mm. Collection of Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Scene with Demons and Fantastic Creatures," 1629, black chalk, 184 x 228 mm. Collection of Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kassel;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Scene with Demons and Fantastic Creatures," 1630, black chalk, 184 x 228 mm. Collection of Kunsthalle Kupferstichkabinett, Hamburg;
Cornelis Saftleven, "An Enchanted Cellar with Animals," c. 1655-1670, black and red chalk, gray and brown wash, and watercolor, 10 1/8 x 12 5/8 in. Collection of the Getty Institute, Los Angeles;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Two Demons (lit. Two Marvelous Animals), " black chalk, 385 x 260 mm. Collection of the Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Lion," black chalk with brown and reddish-brown wash, 217 x 285 mm. Collection of the Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Head of a Dog Facing Right," black chalk and wash, 235 x 308 mm. Collection of the Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam;
Cornelis Saftleven, "interior with Bagpipe Player, "1635, oil on wood, 38.5 x 53.5 cm. Collection of the National Gallery, Prague;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Scene with Cows," 1652, oil on wood, 36 x 29 cm. Private collection, Wassenaar;
Cornelis Saftleven, "Diablerie, Interior with a Goat Eating an Oyster," 62.9 x 82.5. Sold at Christie's London 1985.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Saftleven, Cornelis (Dutch, 1607-1681)
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: Rotterdam (Netherlands): TGN: 7006792
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
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