Gezicht op een hertenkamp in Artis in Amsterdam

This is Andries Jager's photograph of the deer park at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam. Without a date, it is difficult to know exactly when Jager created this image; however, it invites a contemplation on the zoo as a site of encounter between humans and animals during the height of European colonialism. The photograph presents a seemingly serene scene: deer enclosed by a delicate fence, a solitary figure, perhaps a caretaker, standing watch. Yet, the very act of capturing these animals, removing them from their native lands, and displaying them for the entertainment and education of the public speaks volumes about power dynamics. The zoo then becomes a microcosm of a world where certain beings, both human and non-human, are objectified, commodified, and controlled. Jager’s photograph then, is a complex artifact, one that reflects our complicated relationship with the natural world and the ways in which we seek to dominate it.