All' wat God schip kan ons ter leeringe verstrekken; / Want alles, wel betracht, zal ons zyn magt ontdekkehn: / De dieren, hier vertoond, verschaffen u, o jeugd! / Een school van wysheid, en niet min een school van deugd 1806 - 1830

This untitled print, made by Johan Noman, presents a tableau of animals intended to impart lessons of wisdom and virtue. Birds, prominently featured—peacock, rooster, turkey, and swan—each carry a symbolic weight. Consider the peacock, its extravagant tail a symbol of vanity, a motif we see echoed across cultures from ancient Rome to Renaissance paintings where it symbolized pride. Then there's the rooster, a symbol of vigilance and pride, often associated with courage and a defender against darkness. These symbols engage the viewer, stirring subconscious associations and cultural memories linked to morality. Note how these animal figures have been visually represented across different eras, sometimes realistically, other times stylized, evolving in meaning. This continual rebirth and adaptation of symbols reveal the cyclical nature of human expression, our endless quest to understand ourselves through visual language.