Two kinds of art
1746
Cornelis Troost serves up a hilarious 18th-century roast of the art world in this 1746 scene. On the left, we see 'High Art' in all its pretentious glory: a painter sits in solemn reverence as a literal angel on a cloud blows a trumpet of inspiration, guiding his hand to paint a perfect classical figure. Contrast that with the right side, which is total chaos—a rowdy group of men are cracking up over crude caricatures, with one guy literally slumped on the floor drinking from a bottle. As a master of satire himself, Troost is playfully highlighting the clash between noble history painting and the 'lowly' but fun genre scenes that regular people actually enjoyed.
- Technique
- Watercolor and ink
Location: Rijksmuseum
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