Finding the Fun in the Dutch Baroque
Sat, May 16
|Putney School of Art and Design
In partnership with the Putney school of Art & Design, Mariska will be delivering a talk on The Art of Laughter.
Time & Location
May 16, 2026, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Putney School of Art and Design, Oxford Rd, London SW15 2LQ, UK
About the Event
Seldom did one country produce so many comical paintings as the Netherlands did during the Dutch Golden Age. People and animals misbehaving, being silly, naughty and laughing out loud can be seen in unprecedented numbers on Dutch Baroque genre paintings. Some of these paintings were visual representations of common sayings or depictions of stock characters in contemporary plays, while others were created as moral lessons. However, the fashion for these type of paintings also coincided with a belief by contemporary doctors that laughing was good for your health, and a boom in the publications of books with jokes and funny poems.
Foreigners visiting the Netherlands during the 17th century commented on the Dutch being "clownish", "full of humour, funny and naughty (sometimes too much)".
Time for us to enjoy some of these Dutch Baroque paintings for what they are: funny! Join us as we spot people playing a trick on…