Uilenspel 1817

This is "Uilenspel", an engraving by Johan Noman made in 1817. Here, we are confronted with an owl, a creature that has long been a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. Yet, consider its placement in this game wheel, encircled by everyday objects. What happens when wisdom is brought into the quotidian aspects of our lives? The owl is flanked by images that echo throughout art history: the tools of artisans, animals, and domestic items. They remind me of the "Table of Contents" in alchemical traditions, connecting the cosmos with daily existence. It is as though all of creation is compacted into the wheel’s design, connecting the earthly with the divine, a theme that pervades illuminated manuscripts and the frescoes of the Renaissance. Such symbols do not remain static, of course. The owl itself, once revered in ancient Greece as Athena’s companion, evolves through the medieval period into a creature of ill omen, lurking in darkness. This reflects a collective anxiety about the unknown and the unseen, mirroring our subconscious fears and desires. Like life itself, the wheel turns and takes on new meanings.