Dode eekhoorn en vlieg 1863

Jules Ferdinand Jacquemart created this artwork, titled 'Dead Squirrel and Fly', using etching techniques. The print is dominated by the lifeless form of a squirrel, lying on its back, limbs outstretched, its fur rendered with meticulous detail through dense, cross-hatched lines. The composition is simple, yet strikingly effective. Jacquemart uses the contrast between the dark, textured fur of the squirrel and the smooth, light background to draw the eye. A fly hovers nearby, a small but significant detail that amplifies the stillness and finality of death. Here, the animal is presented not as a symbol of vitality or nature's beauty, but as an object, an arrangement of lines and textures. The fly, drawn with the same precision as the squirrel, serves to further objectify the scene, reducing the once vibrant creature to a mere subject of artistic study. The formal qualities of the etching—the lines, textures, and stark contrast—transform the viewer's perception of death, inviting us to consider not its emotional weight but its aesthetic representation. The etching medium itself, with its capacity for intricate detail and tonal variation, becomes a vehicle for exploring the boundaries between life and art, nature and representation.