Throughout the long history of human art, animals have often been the main characters in artistic works and have played the role of the object endowed with meaning - they can be food, labour, tools, and status symbols. Artists have used this unequal relationship as creative material. Images, bones and even traces of their lives can show us how we use animals in cruel ways. This section enables us to reflect on the relationship between humans and animals: then we will realize that animals have their own world, their own ways of perception, and their own right to survive. Therefore, the real purpose of this part is to make people understand that animals are not the property of humans, and to strive to listen to the voices of these animals.
Ivory at Home, Frederic Villiers, 1890
From Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Ivory has a significant symbolic meaning in human history. It shows wealth and status. This painting reflects the aesthetic and reverence of elephants in the late 19th century, and the warm elephant family can also remind visitors to reflect on issues related to ivory trade and wildlife protection. Ivory at Home helps to connect art with natural history, providing visitors with a cultural and ecological understanding of the endangered species of elephants.
Ivory Button, 19th century
From Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
This button is the kind of accessory that elephant tusks were often used to make. The title Ivory at Home reveals the animals are viewed only as commodities.
Cabin Door Still Life, Richard La Barre Goodwin, ca. 1886
From Smithsonian American Art Museum
Chicken legs are not originally part of still life. They are intruders, and the ‘stillness’ of organic life fragments is absolute and irreversible. The still life and the door are a state of stability, but the stillness of animals is the end of life. Chicken legs are also a symbol of sacrifice and dedication. Being displayed as a still life in the family shows the consumption and continuation of life.
Photo Max’s Roasted Chicken, Evan Swigart
From 101 Chicken Recipes, available at culinarygeek.net/101.html
Is your reaction to this image different than the last one? What does that tell you?
Are there any animals that you relate to the idea of resource and commodity?