Eekhoorn, egel, ezel, varken en andere dieren 1570 - 1668

This small print, whose maker is now anonymous, was created using an engraving technique. This involved meticulously cutting lines into a metal plate, inking the surface, and then using a press to transfer the image onto paper. Consider the amount of labor involved in such a detailed image, with each line carefully incised, especially when repeated across many prints. We see a world teeming with life—squirrels, hedgehogs, pigs, donkeys, and other animals—all rendered with remarkable precision. The print invites us to contemplate the relationship between humans and nature, and the role of animals in our cultural imagination. Importantly, prints like this one were often produced for educational or scientific purposes, reflecting a growing interest in natural history and classification during the early modern period. The very act of engraving, with its emphasis on control and replication, mirrors the impulse to categorize and understand the natural world. This challenges distinctions between art, craft, and scientific inquiry.