Dieren 1848 - 1881

This colour print titled ‘Dieren’ was created by Lutkie & Cranenburg. It’s now held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. This print is like a page torn from a child’s educational book, or perhaps a sales catalogue. The figures show an array of animals from different parts of the world, each carefully rendered and labelled with a short caption in Dutch. Consider when and where this image was made, most likely in the Netherlands, during the height of European colonialism. This was a time when the Dutch controlled territories in Africa and Asia. These territories gave them access to exotic goods, animals, and resources. Were the makers of this image consciously or unconsciously complicit in the colonial project? Were they celebrating Dutch expansion, or simply trying to educate their young audience? Careful historical research is needed to better understand the social conditions that shaped this print. By examining the publishing house that produced it, the historical context in which it was made, and the meaning that this print may have had for its original viewers.