Om uw leerlust bot te vieren / Ziet ge / u bekende en vreemde dieren / Die / ter beschouwing aangeboon (...) 1781 - 1828

This alphabet print, "Om uw leerlust bot te vieren," was created by Jan Hendriksen and is intended for children to learn the ABC’s. The images offer a lens into the complex social fabric of the time, where education was intertwined with cultural values. Each letter is associated with an animal or figure, like ‘A’ for a figure who seems to be a child with a tool, and ‘L’ for lion, accompanied by text which offers moralistic lessons or observations. The choice of animals and the way they are represented is striking. It reflects a world where the exotic and the familiar were brought together, often reinforcing existing power structures and hierarchies. The print invites us to consider how knowledge is constructed and disseminated, and who has access to it. It serves as a reminder that even seemingly simple educational tools carry cultural and social weight.