ArtsNational Ku-ring-gai Lecture September 2, 2026
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THE ART OF LAUGHTER
Speaker: Mariska Beekenkamp-Wladimiroff
Comical paintings were abundant in the Dutch Golden Age of genre paintings depicting people and animals misbehaving, being silly, naughty and laughing out loud. Some of these paintings represented common sayings, while others were created as moral lessons. However, they also coincided with a belief by contemporary doctors of the 17th century that laughing was good for your health.
Image: Frans Hals ‘Two laughing boys with a beer mug’, 1626-1627
Speaker: Mariska Beekenkamp-Wladimiroff
Comical paintings were abundant in the Dutch Golden Age of genre paintings depicting people and animals misbehaving, being silly, naughty and laughing out loud. Some of these paintings represented common sayings, while others were created as moral lessons. However, they also coincided with a belief by contemporary doctors of the 17th century that laughing was good for your health.
Image: Frans Hals ‘Two laughing boys with a beer mug’, 1626-1627