Uit de dierenwereld 1850 - 1881

This is a page from ‘Uit de dierenwereld’ – ‘From the Animal World’ – a series of prints by H. Leutemann. They show animals in their natural habitats, or in captivity. But who is the intended audience and what assumptions are being made? Look closely and you’ll see that these images tell a story not just of animals, but of humans too, specifically in their relation to the ‘dark continent’ of Africa. There’s the image of the ‘Negro’ who kills a rhinoceros, or the group hunting a hippopotamus. The visual language reflects a colonial worldview, placing people of color in subservient roles, as either hunters or the hunted. In contrast, the central image shows a zookeeper, seemingly a white European, feeding hippos in a zoo. Consider how these images might have shaped perceptions of Africa, its people, and its animals. How does the series reinforce stereotypes about race and the natural world, while offering Europeans a sense of moral and cultural superiority? It’s a fascinating, if troubling, insight into the attitudes of the time.