De jager berecht door de dieren, ca. 1600 19th century

This engraving, made around 1600 by an anonymous artist, presents a world turned upside down, where animals enact human justice on a hunter. Notice the reversal of roles: animals carrying weapons, presiding over trials, and enacting punishments, symbols of retribution and a challenge to the natural order. This motif echoes through history. We see it in medieval bestiaries, where animals often display human-like virtues and vices, and in fables that use animal characters to critique human society. Consider the image of the bear, here standing upright like a judge. This anthropomorphism is not new; it harkens back to ancient myths where animals were divine messengers, possessing wisdom and power. The collective memory of such images stirs something primal within us—a recognition of our own animal nature and a fear of losing our dominance. The hunter's humiliation is a potent symbol, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level with questions of morality, power, and the cyclical nature of justice. It is a reminder that the stories we tell ourselves through images are never truly new, but rather echoes of ancient archetypes, resurfacing to challenge and provoke.