Ovaal met honden, geiten en konijnen 1594

Martin Pleginck created this oval image of dogs, goats, and rabbits using an engraving technique. Without knowing the precise date of its creation, one might imagine the context in which these types of images circulated. Scenes of animals were common in early modern Europe, reflecting both a fascination with the natural world and a symbolic understanding of different species. Dogs, often symbols of loyalty and domesticity, stand in contrast to the wildness of the goats. Rabbits, emblems of fertility, add another layer to this tableau. The arrangement of these animals might speak to the social hierarchies of the time, reflecting a world where humans saw themselves as distinctly separate from animals. Yet, within this small oval, there’s also a sense of a shared space, a mini-cosmos where different creatures coexist. It's a poignant reminder of how we, as humans, perceive and interact with the non-human world, both then and now.