A Fox, from "Eaux-Fortes Animaux & Paysages" 1855 - 1865

Karl Bodmer created this etching of a fox as part of his "Eaux-Fortes Animaux & Paysages". Born in Switzerland and later working in France, Bodmer was part of a movement towards realism in art that coincided with a wider interest in natural science. Artists began to look to the observation of animals in their natural habitat. The fox stands alert in the woods, a detailed depiction of its fur, a kind of scientific record, but its upright stance, looking towards the trees, also suggests a narrative. This etching represents a shift in artistic interest towards a more objective, almost photographic, rendering of the natural world. What does it mean to turn the scientific gaze onto the animal kingdom? To understand this work better, we might look at studies of animal behavior or even folk tales. These sources would provide ways to better understand art as something embedded in cultural history.