Jagers met honden langs een sloot in een bos c. 1850

Louis-Julien Jacottet created this print, "Hunters with dogs along a ditch in a forest," which can be found here at the Rijksmuseum. This work draws us into a world deeply rooted in aristocratic tradition. Hunting, historically a preserve of the wealthy, becomes a stage upon which hierarchies of class and gender are vividly played out. The hunters, mounted and armed, represent power and dominance. The dogs symbolize subservience, trained to serve their masters’ desires. Consider the absence of women in the hunting party, and how it reflects the gendered division of labor. It also speaks volumes about the social roles deemed appropriate for women during that time. This wasn't just a recreational activity; it was a performance of social standing. Jacottet’s print invites us to reflect on the emotional distance between humans and animals, and between different strata of society.