Ooievaars in een nest after 1635

Editor: Here we have Frederick Bloemaert’s "Storks in a Nest," created after 1635. It’s an engraving in ink; a pretty detailed sketch showing several storks around a nest. I’m immediately drawn to the way the landscape fades into the background and how much detail is used to show the storks. How do you interpret this work in its historical context? Curator: Well, considering the socio-political climate of the Dutch Golden Age, this seemingly simple depiction of storks is interesting. Notice how the print emphasizes domesticity through the nest, yet positions the birds with an almost civic importance by way of their stature and how prominently they feature. What might the storks themselves have symbolized to a 17th-century Dutch audience? Editor: I suppose they could be symbols of prosperity, or even of the family itself? Curator: Precisely! Storks were, and still are, associated with birth and family. Remember the prominent role of family in Dutch society during this era, which saw a growth of mercantile wealth but still strongly supported traditional family structures. Also, think about the market for prints at the time. Were these types of images primarily aimed at wealthier city dwellers or at a broader audience? Editor: Possibly a broader audience, since prints were more accessible. Curator: Exactly! Making the family and even the natural world subjects that appealed to a burgeoning middle class, this is a kind of moralizing that has implications even now about family and the structure of society. Editor: It's amazing how much meaning can be packed into a simple image of birds. I never would have considered its broader social implications otherwise. Curator: Right? It really underscores the point of considering art’s engagement with the everyday. A lens onto a particular time, influencing perception still today.