Drie honden, een wolf, een kat, een vos, een eekhoorn en een bever 1578 - 1596

Stephan Herman created this engraving of "Three dogs, a wolf, a cat, a fox, a squirrel and a beaver," using an engraving technique. It’s difficult to ignore the tension in this space, as it seems to be carefully crafted to mirror societal anxieties of Herman’s time. The presence of both domestic animals such as dogs and cats and wild ones – wolves, foxes, and beavers – generates an emotional paradox. The depiction of animals with distinct roles and values can serve as a mirror, reflecting the audience’s own positioning within society’s hierarchical structures. Each animal, rendered with meticulous detail, is caught between the realms of the wild and the domestic, and speaks to our complex relationship with the natural world, and with each other. The absence of the date leaves us to wonder about the specific societal conditions and emotional landscape that gave rise to this intricate portrayal of natural and social orders.