Vijf fantastische dieren 1573 - 1610

Christoph Jamnitzer created this collection of Five Fantastic Animals with etching, sometime between 1576 and 1618. These creatures reflect the cultural context of the late Renaissance, a time when the line between the natural world and human imagination was fluid. As an etcher from Nuremberg, a hub of artistic and intellectual exchange, Jamnitzer would have been exposed to a variety of influences from scientific illustration to mythology. The images suggest an era grappling with new discoveries. Each animal blends organic and artificial forms. Are they whimsical or warnings? Perhaps they reflect anxieties about a changing world, where nature was increasingly subject to human intervention. These fantastical beasts allow us to consider the intertwined histories of art, science, and the human psyche. What do you feel as you look at them?