Rustende uil c. 1625

This is Cornelis Bloemaert's engraving, Resting Owl. It captures a moment of quiet observation from an owl perched regally on a stand. Created in the 17th century, this piece emerges from a time when the natural world was both a source of wonder and symbolic meaning. The owl, often associated with wisdom but also darkness, here is rendered with a soft, almost melancholic gaze. We see children pointing towards the owl from underneath a tree, asking "What are you doing? It is your brother and you don't know him?" The owl seems indifferent to the chatter of the smaller birds and the curiosity of the children. Bloemaert invites us to consider the complexities of knowledge and perception. Is the owl truly at rest, or is it in a state of contemplation? What does it mean to be wise, or to be seen as different? This image lingers in the space between the known and the unknown, the seen and the unseen, inviting us to reflect on our own ways of seeing.