Uil met prooi belaagd door andere vogels 1594

This print, made in 1594 by Nicolaes de Bruyn, depicts an owl besieged by a flock of birds, a common subject in art symbolizing the persecution of wisdom by ignorance. Consider the owl, often a symbol of wisdom and nocturnal knowledge, now finds itself cornered. This motif can be traced back to ancient folklore, where the owl's association with darkness made it a target of fear and misunderstanding. Even in the Renaissance, the image of the owl being mobbed by smaller birds served as an allegory for the challenges faced by scholars and those who pursued knowledge. The emotional resonance of this image lies in its depiction of vulnerability. Here, the artist touches on the complex interplay between knowledge, fear, and aggression, engaging our collective memory of the outcast and the misunderstood. The owl, from antiquity to now, continues to resurface as a symbol of the complex relationship between knowledge, society, and the self.