Negen verschillende vogelsoorten 1660 - 1663

Dirck de Bray created this print of nine different bird species, including a rooster, swan and owl, using etching. De Bray was part of the second generation of a family of artists in Haarlem, Netherlands during the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by economic prosperity and significant achievements in art and science. Prints like this one catered to a growing middle class interested in natural history and collecting images of the world around them. However, these images also reflect a hierarchical worldview. Each bird carried symbolic weight – the rooster associated with vigilance and masculinity; the swan, with grace and purity. The owl, often linked to wisdom but also darkness, sits apart from the others. Consider how the act of categorizing these birds reflects the human desire to impose order on the natural world. This desire, of course, always carries with it a degree of interpretation and, perhaps, even control. De Bray’s work invites us to reflect on our relationship with nature and the meanings we assign to the creatures with whom we share this earth.