A Great Grey Shrike 1634 - 1683

Pieter Holsteyn II made this watercolor of a Great Grey Shrike on paper sometime in the 17th century. At that time, the Dutch Republic was a center of global trade, with merchants importing exotic goods, including flora and fauna, from around the world. This image participates in a broader cultural fascination with natural history. The precise rendering and scientific observation evident in the depiction of the shrike reflects the growing importance of empirical study during the period. What was the public role of these kinds of images? Were they made for a private collection of a wealthy merchant, or were they destined for scientific study? To understand the social and cultural context of this artwork, one might research the history of ornithology, consult period sources on natural history, and consider the collecting habits of wealthy Dutch patrons. After all, art always bears the imprint of its own time.