Museum Explorer
Daily life in Europe
Dr James Hay as bear leader
From: Italy
Date: around AD 1704-29
When boys had finished school in England in the 18th century, their rich families sometimes sent them to Europe to learn about the history of other countries. They would be shown around by a guide.
This Italian artist, Pier Leone Ghezzi, makes fun of the rich child by comparing them to a bear, and their guide to a bear leader. In Europe, bears were led from town to town to entertain people. The artist points out that the guide dragging a rich child from town to town looked very similar.
