Allerhande slag van dieren; / Die in vreemde landen tieren, / Of in 't onze zyn bekend, / Ziet ge, ô jeugd! in deeze prent 1715 - 1813

This print, "Allerhande slag van dieren," was created by the heirs of widow Cornelis Stichter, and presents an array of animals to a youthful audience. In the context of the Dutch Golden Age, the act of cataloging and depicting the natural world reflected a culture deeply engaged with exploration and commerce. This print is not just an innocent educational tool; it subtly reinforces a worldview where the world is there for the taking, organizing nature for human understanding and use. Consider how the animals are presented— neatly arranged and labeled, almost as specimens in a collection. There's a certain flattening that occurs when we reduce living beings to mere images. What does it mean to categorize and contain the wild? How does this relate to the era’s colonial ambitions and its impact on both human and animal populations across the globe? In a time when the world was rapidly changing, this print invites us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world.