Struisvogels 1821 - 1891

Guillaume Anne van der Brugghen made this drawing of ostriches with graphite, but the date isn't known. Van der Brugghen, born in the Netherlands, clearly studied and sketched these birds from life. Zoos with exotic animals were popular throughout Europe in the 19th century, offering artists the chance to draw unusual creatures from far-off lands. It reflects a growing interest in and understanding of the natural world and our place in it. Drawings like this may have served as studies for larger paintings or prints, which would have been more widely distributed and consumed. As historians, to properly understand this drawing, we might research the history of zoos, the artist's other works, and the broader cultural context of natural history in the 1800s. Only then can we understand how drawings like these contribute to our understanding of the world.