Apen, katten en muizen 1594

This is 'Apen, katten en muizen' by Nicolaes de Bruyn, an engraving made sometime around the late 16th to mid-17th century. Notice how de Bruyn arranges the figures in a dense, frieze-like composition across the small rectangular field. The use of tightly packed forms creates a bustling scene, almost overflowing with life. De Bruyn’s work is filled with structural paradoxes. The animals are rendered with remarkable detail and realism, yet their placement in the landscape feels strangely artificial. The scene is meticulously organized, yet it evokes a sense of wild, untamed nature. The monkeys, cats, mice and fox are depicted with lifelike textures achieved through fine, intricate lines. The print invites us to consider how art destabilizes the line between the real and the represented. The very act of capturing nature within the rigid structure of an engraving prompts questions about our perception and categorization of the natural world. This engraving serves as a reminder that art is not merely a mirror reflecting reality, but a lens that refracts and reshapes our understanding of it.