Vliegende knorhaan, lompje, slijmvis en een walrus 1600 - 1638

Pierre Firens created this engraving of four sea creatures in the early 17th century. During this period, the Dutch Golden Age, there was a surge in scientific exploration and discovery, yet the line between observation and imagination was often blurred, especially when depicting the unfamiliar. Here we see not just fish, but hybrid creatures, their identities caught between the real and the mythical. The ‘flying gurnard’ is an interesting example. On the one hand it reflects humanity's attempt to classify and understand the natural world. On the other, these fantastical details reveal cultural anxieties and fascinations with the unknown. Consider the walrus, or ‘rosmarus’, with its strangely anthropomorphic features. It embodies this tension, reflecting a worldview where nature is both wondrous and monstrous. The artist encourages us to confront our perceptions and cultural narratives, and to consider how we project our fears and desires onto the unknown.