Funny Anti-Clerical Paintings
I'm so glad I've discovered this. In Nineteenth Century France, it was common for academic painters to create paintings that mocked the decadence of the powerful men at the top of the Catholic Church. The result? A whole lot of paintings of cardinals being decadent idiots, and oh, are they funny. I should also note that many of these paintings are extremely meme-worthy. These paintings were made by French academic painters in the Nineteenth Century, so feel free to use them for memes.
Nothing says "fun" like burning books you don't like.
It's bad enough that he's lolling around in the lap of luxury, but I love that this cardinal is literally eating milk and cookies. The artist's way of pointing out childishness by choice of snack?
Behold: The playboy cardinal! That's got to be the louchest pose I have ever seen.
Two-martini-lunch nothing, these cardinals are having a three-wine-bottle breakfast. Top that, Madison Avenue admen!
Drinking tea with your pinky up is one thing, but the truly refined stir their tea with their pinkies up. Also, see the portrait of a secular nobleman in the background...?
"Can you believe these Jesuits?! They actually think clergymen should actually be disciplined and spiritual! Those romantic idiots; don't they know that priests are supposed to be lazy and materialistic?"
So fancy, he has to have a cushion underneath his feet. Even a Persian rug isn't fine enough to touch his feet. And look at how confused that dog is!
"Let's all drink to bankrupting the peasantry!" Also, love the Rococo kitsch painting of shepherdesses lolling about behind the dudes. Apparently, people with more money than taste are an old phenomenon.
He's got the red-silk outfit, the solid-gold accessories, the hat too fancy to actually wear, and the swagger stick. But the real proof of this cardinal's vanity? The peacock parading behind him.
Solid gold cat toy. Do I need to say more?
Nothing says "Christian humility" like... Emulating Napoleon, the guy who tried to take over all of Europe?
It sure is hard work doing nothing all day. Time for a nap.