Singerie: The Concert

Christophe Huet

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of various animals dressed in human clothing and playing different musical instruments. In the center, a brown monkey in a pink tunic, ruffled collar, and plumed hat appears to be conducting, holding a rolled piece of paper in one hand and pointing at a page of sheet music with the other. The other animals include cats, dogs, goats, foxes, and sheep. Some appear to sing and hold sheet music, while others play violins, cellos, lutes, flutes, bassoons, and trumpets. Another monkey on the far left plays a piano, and a small dog in the center plays a flat, stringed instrument similar to a zither. The setting includes lush green trees, a cloudy blue sky, and architectural elements like a large gray urn and low stone walls.