Aanleggen van vossenvallen bij het Behouden Huys, 1596 1615 - 1617

This anonymous engraving, titled "Aanleggen van vossenvallen bij het Behouden Huys, 1596," meaning 'laying fox traps near the Behouden Huys', was made in 1596. The image depicts an episode from Willem Barentsz's ill-fated voyage to find a northern passage to the East Indies. Stranded on Nova Zembla, the crew built a shelter, the Behouden Huys, to survive the harsh winter. The print highlights the resourcefulness required for survival in extreme conditions. It underscores the relationship between humans and their environment. The construction of fox traps is a direct response to the need for sustenance in a desolate landscape, typical for Dutch explorations of the time. The print is a visual document of Dutch resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity. To understand this print, one might research Dutch exploration history, the specifics of the Barentsz voyage, and early printing press production and distribution, to shed light on the cultural and social values that informed its creation.