Kabeljauw en steur 1581 - 1656

Nicolaes de Bruyn created this detailed study of a cod and a sturgeon with pen and watercolor. Here, the fish are presented not merely as specimens, but as potent symbols. Fish, historically, have swum through a sea of meanings, often representing fertility and abundance. Think of the ancient Near East, where fish goddesses ensured bountiful catches and prosperous communities. The sturgeon, with its archaic appearance, evokes primordial connections, bridging the ancient world with our own. Yet, these serene aquatic creatures also carry darker currents. In medieval times, fish could symbolize the souls of the dead, caught between worlds. Perhaps de Bruyn, consciously or not, tapped into this deep well of collective anxiety, reflecting a subconscious awareness of mortality. The open mouth of the cod could be seen as a silent scream, reflecting humanity’s uneasy relationship with nature’s abundance and its inevitable decay. Thus, the fish motif, like a restless spirit, resurfaces and evolves, bearing the weight of cultural memory and personal experience, ever shifting in meaning.