Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) owned a colorful assortment of mementos that he collected during his travels: medieval armor, weapons, costumes, and animal skins.
He also kept a celebrated pet monkey, who kept him company in the studio and came to the dinner table wearing formal attire.
But from time to time the monkey would escape from its confinement, "turning the studio into a shambles and terrorizing the neighborhood."
Sources:
Previously: Gerome's Critics
7 comments:
Thanks! Laughter first thing in the morning is a good thing. I want a raven to hang out with me in the studio... maybe one day!
As a kid, I wanted a pet monkey. I never knew Gerome had one!
There was a time when they advertized pet monkeys (in a cup) for sale in the comic books I read.
My folks said absolutly not :(
Rembrandt also had a pet monkey. He was so sad when it died that he painted the little guy into a commissioned group portrait he was working on. It horrified the clients, who demanded he take the monkey out.
The Goat rider monkey loop is hilarious! I guess we all have our eccentricities.
Gérôme also kept an old circus lion ~ his son-in-law with the remains of a dead lion.
I wanted a pet monkey as a kid, too.
Knowing the potential threat they could pose to artworks, though...
James, have you ever had trouble with Mr Kooks or has he always been well behaved?
My parakeet Kookie is a great studio companion. Normally he lives in a big cage but I bring him out to his "playground" on the counter next where I work. He listens very actively to music. Sometimes he wants to sit on my shoulder or wrist as I paint and he watches the tip of the brush.
He was hand-raised, and since he's a single bird, he really does need input and socialization to be happy.
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