Pieter van der Borcht the Elder
Pieter van der Borcht (I) or Peter van der Borcht (c. 1530–1608) was a Flemish Renaissance painter, draughtsman and etcher. He is regarded as one of the most gifted botanical painters of the 16th century. Pieter van der Borcht the Elder also introduced new themes, such as the "monkey scene" (also called singerie) into Northern art.
Peasant Fair, after Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1559
The Tooth Puller
Drawing of a Flower, from the Libri picturati
The Nursery, c. 1585, an example of a singerie
Singerie is the name given to a visual arts genre depicting monkeys imitating human behavior, often fashionably attired, intended as a diverting sight, using satire. The term is derived from the French word for "Monkey Trick".
Barbershop with monkeys and cats, Abraham Teniers, mid-17th century
A copy of The Monkey Sculptor, by Antoine Watteau, c. 1710
The art experts by Emmanuel Noterman
Detail from the Grande Singerie, by Christophe Huet, 1737, oil on panel, Château de Chantilly, Chantilly, France