JAN WEENIX (Amsterdam, 1642 - 1719) Trompe l'oeil with a boy and a monkey in an Italianate garden Oil on canvas, 137X117 cm Provenance: New York, Sotheby's, 31 January 2013, lot 147 (see https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/old-master-paintings-n08952/lot.147.html) Bibliography: https://rkd.nl/imageslite/2990682 A pupil of his father Jean Baptiste, the artist was enrolled in the Guild of San Luca in 1664. His production mainly includes still lifes and landscapes with an Italianising flavour, thanks to the inclusion of classical sculptures set in old-fashioned gardens. This prerogative is evident in the canvas under examination, which can be dated to the author's maturity, around 1700. Surprising, however, is the subject of the work depicting a monkey in military garb, sporting a feathered hat and equipped with a sword and banner. But even more emblematic is the figure of the child who seems to want to chase the animal away by turning a dismayed gaze to the observer. There is no doubt that the scene alludes to an allegorical meaning, taking into account that the monkey is emblematic of something sinful and insane, and the whole is a reflection on the human condition, victim of wild, animal and spiteful impulses perpetrated by ambiguous figures worn down by misplaced ambition. Thanks are due to Fred Meijer for confirming the attribution to Jan Weenix.