Verschillende dieren 1838 - 1892

Hermann van der Moolen’s “Verschillende Dieren” or “Various Animals” was made as a lithograph, a printmaking technique using a flat stone or metal plate. The image is drawn onto the surface with a greasy substance, and then inked. What I find fascinating here is the way this industrial technique flattens the natural world. Each animal, from camel to elephant, lion to deer, is rendered with a careful, almost scientific precision. But the lithographic process, with its emphasis on repeatability and uniformity, inevitably imposes a kind of order on the wildness of nature. Consider the social context: this print was intended for children. It speaks volumes about how knowledge was disseminated in the 19th century, through mass-produced images that could circulate widely. The very act of printing and distributing these images suggests a desire to categorize and control the natural world, turning it into a commodity for consumption and education. It's a reminder that even the most seemingly benign images are shaped by the materials and processes used to create them, reflecting broader social and economic forces at play.