Collage van uitgeknipte prenten geplakt op een albumblad van blauw papier c. 1680 - 1720

This collage of cut prints, now at the Rijksmuseum, is pasted on blue album paper by various makers. The eye is drawn to the almost classical arrangement of disparate images, rendered in a monochrome of greys and whites against the solid blue backdrop. This contrast gives the artwork a striking visual appeal. The composition suggests a fascination with typology, categorizing images of animals, figures, and decorative objects in a quasi-scientific manner. This hints at the Enlightenment's project to classify and understand the natural world through visual means. The juxtaposition of these elements reveals an underlying structure that invites a semiotic reading. Each image acts as a sign, contributing to a larger narrative or commentary on art, nature, and culture. Note how the grid-like layout imposes a sense of order, yet the collage's inherent nature introduces a playful disruption, challenging fixed meanings. The collage questions the boundaries between high art and everyday imagery, revealing the constructed nature of these categories.