Fable VI 17th-18th century

Editor: This is Johann Elias Ridinger's "Fable VI," a print housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It's quite striking, with the owls rendered in meticulous detail amidst a dense forest scene. What symbols stand out to you in this piece? Curator: Well, owls traditionally symbolize wisdom, but also the night, and even death. Here, they seem to be placed in a scene that speaks of natural decay. Is Ridinger perhaps contrasting the wisdom of nature with the folly of human affairs, suggested by the fable's text below? Editor: That’s a great point. The forest feels both protective and ominous, a powerful visual representation of the fable's moral. Curator: The text gives it context! It appears the scene's symbolism may hinge on the themes of repentance and stubbornness in marriage. Now, how does the visual language reinforce this message? Editor: I hadn't considered the relationship between the image and the fable's moral. That definitely gives me a new appreciation for Ridinger's narrative skill.