Vier geiten, een ram, een schaap, een gems, een steenbok, twee konijnen een hagedis en een slak 1578 - 1596

Editor: This etching, titled "Four Goats, a Ram, a Sheep, a Chamois, an Ibex, Two Rabbits, a Lizard and a Snail", dating back to between 1578 and 1596, presents a fascinating tableau. There's a whimsical, almost allegorical feel to it. How do you interpret this collection of animals? Curator: The sheer abundance of creatures is telling. Each animal, carefully rendered, wasn’t simply a study of nature. They function as symbols, embedded with cultural meaning. Consider the goat, often associated with virility and stubbornness. The rabbits speak to fertility, of course. It’s almost like a visual bestiary, a medieval book of beasts, where each animal carries a moral or emblematic weight. Does it remind you of anything specific? Editor: I can see that. The grouping together makes me think of Noah's Ark in a way. Curator: Exactly! These groupings can reflect harmony, but could just as easily mirror hidden anxieties. Artists were keen to project those onto the animal kingdom as an analogue for humanity. But also, consider the landscape itself. It's not just a backdrop. Think of what these different regions might symbolize to a Northern Renaissance viewer. It's so dense! What does this tell you about its role, perhaps? Editor: I hadn't considered that! I guess it shows that it’s about the whole system. It really makes you wonder what Stephan Herman, the artist, was trying to say about the world. Curator: And indeed, the interplay of those micro and macro readings yields something powerful: a reflection of the world and humanity's place within it. Editor: That’s such a helpful lens for looking at art. I will never be able to look at prints the same way.