Landscape with Animals c. 17th century

Editor: So, this is George Heinrich Schifflin's "Landscape with Animals," and it's safely tucked away at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels almost like a stage set, with these animals posed so deliberately. What do you make of it? Curator: It's interesting, isn't it? The ruined architecture blending with the pastoral scene, like a memory of grandeur consumed by nature. It’s got this melancholy air about it, a bit like those "Et in Arcadia ego" paintings. Makes you wonder what Schifflin was trying to say about civilization and our place in the world. Editor: So, do you think the animals are just... there? Curator: Oh, I doubt it. Everything feels symbolic. The animals are placid, almost melancholic, like they're carrying the weight of that ruin on their furry shoulders. Almost like… a quiet resignation. Editor: I hadn't considered that. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Art's always talking to us if we listen.