Vreemde avonturen bij het visschen en jagen c. 1843 - 1920

This lithograph, titled "Vreemde avonturen bij het visschen en jagen" or Strange Adventures in Fishing and Hunting, presents a series of humorous, cautionary vignettes. Take the motif of the hunter becoming the hunted, prominently displayed with the crocodile and the bear. Such a reversal echoes ancient fables, where hubris meets its downfall. Think of Actaeon, transformed into a stag by Artemis, devoured by his own hounds. This motif resurfaces through the ages, a constant reminder of humanity's precarious position within the natural order. Consider the psychological weight of these images; the fear of being overpowered, a primal anxiety that resonates even today. These scenarios tap into our collective unconscious, a shared cultural memory of vulnerability and the unpredictable power of nature. The composition and exaggerated gestures work together to convey a sense of chaos, evoking emotional states of fear and panic that are universally understood. Like the ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail, this symbol is a cyclical one, always returning, always evolving, and always relevant.