De walvisch is te groot, om 's middags op te disschen, / Kiest kindren, voor uw smaak een soort van andre visschen 1856 - 1900

This color engraving, whose title translates to "The Whale is too Big to Dish Up for Dinner," was made in the Netherlands by Glenisson & Zonen. Its images and rhyming Dutch captions suggest a sort of comparative natural history lesson for children. But there's more than just education at work here. Consider the context of its production. In the 19th-century Netherlands, a nation built on maritime trade and fishing, knowledge of sea creatures carried economic and cultural significance. What better way to instill in children the skills necessary for participating in the national economy? This print subtly promotes values of exploration, resourcefulness, and an engagement with the wider world. Through this engraving, we can investigate the social function of images, and even literature. To understand it better, a historian might look at children’s books and educational models from the period, studying the history of Dutch marine biology and trade. What could appear to be a simple, playful print actually reflects the complex relationship between knowledge, power, and social formation.