Rups, cocon en mot 1662 - 1667

Editor: Here we have Johannes Goedaert’s “Rups, cocon en mot”, created sometime between 1662 and 1667. It’s a detailed engraving, a sort of biological study presented as a stark print. What social function do you think such an image served in its time? Curator: It’s fascinating how seemingly objective scientific illustration always reflects the priorities of the era. Seventeenth-century Dutch society had a booming economy and growing interest in natural philosophy. Think of this engraving not just as documentation but as a symbol of human mastery over nature, mirroring the age's colonial ambitions and scientific classifications. How do you think this scientific gaze may have changed how people understood their environment? Editor: I hadn’t considered that perspective! I was so focused on the artistry of the engraving itself. It almost feels like a detached, clinical study. Curator: Precisely. And that sense of detachment is itself revealing. By meticulously categorizing nature, the rising merchant class in the Dutch Republic reinforced a social order where everything had its place, humans very much at the top of this hierarchy. Have you noticed the letter “S” placed prominently above the caterpillar? It would be very insightful to investigate what classification systems might have been in play at the time. Editor: It's really interesting to think about this image not just as art or science, but as a political statement. It completely reframes my understanding. Curator: Exactly! It’s through questioning the purpose and context that we unearth these layered meanings. That is precisely how we challenge long-held assumptions of truth, even in art. Editor: This conversation has given me a whole new lens through which to view not only this print, but other scientific illustrations. It makes me curious about the assumptions hidden within art that might seem completely objective on the surface.