Fantastische waterdieren, onder andere zeepaard 1581 - 1656

Nicolaes de Bruyn created this print titled *Fantastic Aquatic Animals, including a seahorse*, sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. At the time, the world was expanding, and with it, the human imagination. De Bruyn populates his waters with hybrid creatures, referencing both the real and imagined worlds of the early modern period. Here, knowledge of the natural world meets the fearsome creatures of mythology, a world of sea monsters and unknown dangers. What is so striking is how these fantastical creatures reflect the anxieties of a society grappling with new global encounters and the challenge of mapping both land and sea. Consider the emotional resonance of these images; do they invoke fear, wonder, or perhaps a sense of the sublime? These aquatic animals offer a glimpse into a world where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, mirroring the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world.