The Ape Tied in a Courtyard

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Exotic animals made popular pets in the early modern era (from the late 15th to 18th centuries), as seen in the extravagant courtyard depicted in this roundel. The ape’s owner cannot be far off, as it is attached to the wall; the lone pear the animal attempts to reach with its foot has been left cruelly just out of reach.

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