Schieten van de ijsbeer die twee zeelieden had aangevallen, 1595 1598

This anonymous engraving from 1595, titled "Shooting of the Polar Bear That Attacked Two Sailors," captures a dramatic encounter during a Dutch expedition. Here, the polar bear, a symbol of untamed wilderness, violently confronts human encroachment. Notice the sailors' frantic gestures. One recoils in fear, another desperately fires a musket. These express primal emotions mirrored throughout art history, evoking the vulnerability of humankind against nature's raw power. Think of the ancient depictions of mythical beasts battling heroes, a recurring motif of our struggle against the unknown. The bear itself, locked in mortal combat, embodies a dual symbolism. It is a fearsome predator, yet also a creature defending its territory, a theme that resonates across cultures. This animal is a symbol that cyclically resurfaces, evolving from a totem of strength to a figure of nature's indifference, a reminder of the precarious balance between humanity and the wild.