Jack in the Box by Teddy Hansen

The invention of the Jack-in-the-Box:

This is the story of a farmer whose pigs have escaped, and he’s trying to lure them into a box using his pétanque skills to throw apples.

In pétanque, you have the six metal balls and one little wooden ball called the ‘jack’ or ‘pig’. Each player throws the metal balls as close to the jack as possible; whoever is the closest at the end of the game wins.

The painting shows a farmer throwing his balls (apples) at the jack/pig so they stop and he can get them into a box.

The large pig on the right looks startled. Its twirly tail stretches up like a spring, with a smiling jester perched on top. In pétanque terms, the three pigs in the bottom left are also three jacks in a box.

The Jack-in-the-box is said to have been inspired by Sir John Schorne, who is often depicted holding a boot with a devil in it. Behind the large pig’s foot, a little devil’s face can be seen on the man’s boot.

Mixed media on canvas.

96H x 81W cm

2025