Geen vreemder beesten men ooit vand, Als in 't Amerikaansche land 1551 - 1804

Editor: So, this is a print titled "Geen vreemder beesten men ooit vand, Als in ‘t Amerikaansche Land" – or, "No stranger beasts have ever been found, as in the American land." It's an engraving from sometime between 1551 and 1804, found here at the Rijksmuseum, and created by Erven de Weduwe Jacobus van Egmont. The four animals are… certainly something. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, immediately, I'm drawn to the context. Consider the explosion of printed material in that era, the spread of news and imagery. These weren’t scientific illustrations; they were images feeding a European imagination of a 'New World.' This print wasn't about accuracy, but about wonder, exoticism, even commercial interest. Editor: That makes sense. They look like somewhat clumsy approximations of a bison, an ox, maybe a sheep, and a tiger? It feels like it's about the idea of America, not necessarily what was really here. Curator: Precisely! Ask yourself, who was this image *for*? Certainly not any Indigenous American. Its primary audience was a European public hungry for information, often shaped by colonial narratives. Notice the text beneath each animal - do they provide factual information? Editor: Not really, no. They seem more like rhyming descriptions, sort of like little poems. More fanciful than informative. It highlights how these images were as much about entertaining as they were about educating. Curator: Indeed. These early prints often functioned as propaganda. It's not just an image, it is an entire representation machine embedded in specific ideological contexts. What do you take away from thinking about it like that? Editor: I think viewing it as an artifact, not just a depiction of animals, reframes everything. The strange shapes of the animals become less important than what those choices say about the artist and audience. Curator: Exactly! Understanding its socio-political role in shaping perception, really adds another layer of significance to the piece.