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"Do Not Put Food in a Chamber Pot" [fol. 24 recto]

French early 16th Century

1514

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

Dominant colour

"Do Not Put Food in a Chamber Pot" [fol. 24 recto] is a 1514 ink by French early 16th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: French early 16th Century
When & what style?: 1514 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a lopsided figure standing on a whale’s back. The person wears a tall hat, a loose outfit, and holds a red apple and a small pot. Their face is blank, with a big nose and a wide mouth. The whale’s mouth is open, and the water around it looks choppy. The title hints this isn’t just a funny drawing—it’s a joke about manners. The apple in the pot is the punchline. Want to see more like this? Check out the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

About the artist

Artist

French early 16th Century

A French draftsman from the early 1500s filled sheets of laid paper with tiny, sharp-tongued instructions—ink sketches paired with warnings like “Do Not Eat Your Heart Out” or “Feed Not Things That Have Sharp Claws.”…

See the richer artist page