Pieter van der Heyden: The donkey at school (1557)

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

An engraving by the Flemish artist Pieter van der Heyden (1530-1572), after a design by the Flemish artist Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1525/30-1569). This piece shows a school: the teacher is punishing a child while the rest is either reading or busy with other activities. At the left is a donkey which is reading a sheet of music. The text at the bottom gives the Dutch/ Flemish saying which is depicted here: "al reyst den esele ter scholen om leeren, ist eenen esele hij en sal gheen peert weder keeren", translated "A donkey will never become a horse, even if he goes to school" (an idiot will always remain an idiot). engraving from 1557.