Gevlekte hyena 1767 - 1769

Aert Schouman rendered this watercolor of a spotted hyena at an unknown date, now held in the Rijksmuseum. Notice the collar and chain, powerful symbols of domestication and control imposed upon a wild creature. Such imagery echoes through history. Consider the dogs of ancient Egypt, often depicted collared, symbols of loyalty but also of subjugation. The hyena, here, is stripped of its wildness, domesticated. This resonates with age-old struggles: humanity versus nature, order versus chaos. The collar is not merely an object; it's a signifier of dominion. The emotional weight of this image lies in this tension. We are drawn to the primal nature of the beast, yet repelled by its captivity. This dichotomy taps into our subconscious, reminding us of our own complex relationship with the natural world. This visual vocabulary, once set in motion, continues to haunt our collective memory.