Wilde dieren 1903 - 1919

This print, "Wilde Dieren," probably made as an educational tool, shows a zoo-like menagerie of animals. Looking at the way it’s put together, I can imagine Arie Willem Segboer figuring out how to arrange all these creatures. It’s a little like a puzzle. The animals, each in their box, don’t interact, but the image asks us to make connections. How do these ‘wild animals’ exist together? The lithographic technique allows for incredibly fine detail and a range of tones. The artist builds up layer upon layer of color, with each animal rendered with realism and care. I wonder what Segboer was thinking about when he created this print. Was he aware of how these animals, taken out of their natural environment, come to signify something new? These animals can be metaphors. Perhaps the print itself could become a kind of landscape painting, where Segboer uses animals as his vocabulary.