De konst, nooit uitgeput, steld uw, ô jeugd! te voren, / Een men'gling van gediert - kan dit aan uw bekoren [(...)] 1806 - 1830

This print, made by F. Holtkamp, presents an array of animals, each enclosed within its own frame, like specimens in a bestiary. Here, the artist assembles familiar creatures, echoing ancient traditions where animals embody human traits and cultural meanings. Consider the figure of the bear, seen here in a rather docile pose. Throughout history, the bear has been a symbol of strength, protection, but also of a wild, untamed nature. We find echoes of this in indigenous cultures, where the bear is a totemic animal, a spirit guide, revered for its power. Yet, in European folklore, the bear can be a figure of menace, a beast to be feared. Such shifting meanings reveal the complex ways in which cultural memory operates. These images tap into a collective subconscious, evoking primal fears and aspirations. Like a dream, the bestiary speaks to the viewer through a symbolic language that transcends time, engaging our emotions on a deep, almost instinctual level. These archetypes resurface, evolving with each telling, endlessly reinterpreting our relationship with the natural world and our own inner landscapes.