Series of Prints with Flowers and Animals in a Landscape c. 1600 - 1605

This print, made by Johann Hogenberg around the turn of the 17th century, depicts a landscape populated by flora and fauna, rendered with the precision characteristic of the Northern Renaissance. Consider the symbolic weight carried by each element. Here an eagle—a symbol of power—towers over its prey in a harsh assertion of dominance. The eagle is framed by the calendula and Malus Punica (pomegranate), elements often associated with themes of healing and fertility. Set against the backdrop of a quaint village, these symbols create a fascinating tension. Hogenberg invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between nature and culture. In a society governed by strict hierarchies, such images served not only as scientific records but also as moral allegories, reinforcing prevailing ideas about social order and divine will. How do you feel about the use of nature as a mirror for society's values and power structures?