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

Johann Hogenberg created this print featuring flowers and animals in a landscape. The composition is dominated by two birds: a hoopoe and a parrot. In classical antiquity, the hoopoe was associated with transformation. Ovid tells of Tereus's wife, Procne, transformed into a hoopoe after serving her son to Tereus. The parrot, traditionally a symbol of mimicry and exoticism, is here depicted perched on a quince tree. The quince itself, belonging to the genus "malus," evokes the forbidden fruit of Eden, a symbol of temptation and knowledge. The parrot with the quince creates a visual tension between innocence and the fall from grace. These symbols are not static; they evolve across time. The hoopoe, once a symbol of tragic transformation, reappears in different guises, each time carrying echoes of its past. This cyclical return highlights the emotional power embedded in visual symbols, engaging us on a subconscious level. It's a journey through cultural memory, where the past continually resurfaces.