Drie reigers 1654 - 1662

Wenceslaus Hollar created this piece, titled Drie reigers, using etching techniques. Hollar, born in Prague, lived through the Thirty Years' War, a conflict marked by religious, political, and territorial disputes. His life and work are steeped in the social and political upheavals of 17th-century Europe. Here, Hollar uses the image of herons, which are large, predatory birds to explore themes of survival, adaptation, and the natural world. Notice the heron in the foreground, it has caught a frog, illustrating a raw, unfiltered moment of predator and prey. How might we understand Hollar's choice of subject matter as a reflection on the uncertainties and brutalities of his time? The background alludes to landscapes, suggesting an interplay between the natural world and the human condition. As we consider the dynamic between predator and prey depicted in this piece, let's contemplate how the personal intersects with broader historical forces.