Viervoetige dieren 1869 - 1882

"Viervoetige Dieren", or "Quadruped Animals," is a 419 by 310 millimeter print by F. Spyers. Without a creation date, we must consider the cultural context of 19th-century European scientific illustration, which often served to classify and, by extension, control the natural world. Here, we see a grid of animals ranging from the exotic to the domestic: the panther, hyena, elephant, fox, bear, small panther, dog, horse, and wolf. Consider these animals as they would have been understood at the time. The hyena and the elephant, creatures from the colonies, are presented as curiosities, their descriptions tinged with the language of domination. Juxtapose them with the dog and the horse: animals domesticated for human use. Spyers' print is less a neutral observation of the animal kingdom, and more a reflection of humanity's hierarchical relationship with nature. This piece invites us to consider how we assign value and meaning to the animals around us.