Detailstudies van vissen, met kleurnotities 1876 - 1924

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof created this drawing, "Detailstudies van vissen, met kleurnotities," with pencil on paper. Dijsselhof was an artist who was active in the Netherlands at the turn of the twentieth century, a time of great social and political change. Artists sought to capture the essence of modern life, often turning to nature for inspiration and insight. This drawing, with its careful attention to detail and scientific approach, reflects a growing interest in the natural world. The artist’s decision to focus on fish, creatures often overlooked or misunderstood, suggests a desire to explore the hidden beauty and complexity of the environment. It also shows the increasing professionalization of the natural sciences and the new status afforded to scientific observation. We can imagine Dijsselhof visiting the Artis Amsterdam Royal Zoo, founded in 1838, or the Natura Artis Magistra, a scientific library, for his research. To fully understand this artwork, one can consider the broader social, cultural, and institutional contexts in which it was created.