De højere og lavere dyr 1776 - 1780

J.F. Clemens created this print, "De højere og lavere dyr," which translates to "The Higher and Lower Animals," sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. During this time, Enlightenment ideals were spreading throughout Europe, and this print reflects the period's fascination with categorizing and ranking the natural world. The print depicts a pyramid of animals, with a human figure at the very top, seemingly lording over them. This tiered structure reinforces a hierarchy, suggesting that some beings are inherently superior to others. But think about who gets to decide these rankings and on what basis? Consider the power dynamics at play. The print invites us to think about how we assign value and status, both to animals and to each other. How do these classifications reflect the social and political structures of Clemens' time, and how might they persist today? While seemingly distant, this image prompts questions about who holds power and how we navigate our relationships within complex hierarchies.