• FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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    11 days ago

    I feel like the owl in the basket is the most normal thing going on in that painting. what even is going on?

    • mech@feddit.orgOP
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      11 days ago

      Looks like a fairground to me.
      The guy on the right is a shell game con artist, and the people on the left are his marks.
      His dog is dressed up as jester, probably to perform amusing tricks and distract the crowd.
      The child is holding a pinwheel, and the hoop in the foreground is also a medieval child’s toy.
      The owl could just be another trained animal for some other performance, or it could symbolize that he’s the smart one controlling the game.

  • anon6789@lemmy.world
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    11 days ago

    The owl is guarding the man’s lunch. One must keep mice out of their cheese pouch somehow!