Hertenjacht 1622 - 1653

Gillis Peeters created this print of a deer hunt in the Netherlands sometime in the first half of the 17th century. The image depicts a stag leaping over a fallen dog as the hunters and hounds close in. In the background, we see a cityscape, perhaps a glimpse of the urban world that this rural scene contrasts with. Deer hunting was a popular aristocratic pastime, and images like this one reinforced social hierarchies. The nobility controlled hunting grounds, excluding commoners and associating themselves with nature's power through the act of the hunt. Prints like these were collected and circulated among elites, celebrating their lifestyle and solidifying their social status through shared cultural values. To fully understand the cultural work being done by this picture, a historian will want to explore sources such as period hunting manuals, social histories of the Dutch aristocracy, and records of print collecting. By examining the image in the context of its time, we can better appreciate the social and institutional forces that shaped its creation and meaning.