Een aap en een hond bij dood wild en vruchten 1875 - 1876

This etching, titled "A Monkey and a Dog with Dead Game and Fruit" was created by Johannes Arnoldus Boland in the Netherlands at an unknown date. It depicts a still life of dead animals, fruit, and two animals curiously observing it: a dog and a monkey. The image creates meaning through its cultural references and historical associations. In the 19th-century Netherlands, still-life paintings of this type were extremely popular and a signifier of middle-class wealth and taste. The presence of a monkey is interesting, though. While they were commonly kept as pets by the wealthy, monkeys also held a symbolic value within Dutch culture. The monkey often represented foolishness or the baser instincts of humans. The dog on the other hand is civilized, but perhaps also longing for a taste of the kill. Historical sources such as trade records and colonial archives might help to explain the inclusion and meaning of exotic animals in Dutch art and society. Understanding these histories makes looking at this image all the richer.