Hazen die een jager braden 1455 - 1503

Curator: This delightful, and slightly unsettling, engraving is entitled "Hazen die een jager braden," which translates to "Hares roasting a hunter." Created between 1455 and 1503 by Israhel van Meckenem, you can find this print in the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: What strikes me first is the sheer topsy-turviness of it all. Hares cooking a hunter! It’s wickedly humorous and unsettling at the same time. Gives you that weird Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole vibe, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely. Van Meckenem uses this reversal as a pointed commentary on power dynamics, reflecting on the social inversions present in late medieval society. Think about the traditional hunting relationship: humans dominating animals. Here, that's flipped entirely. Editor: Right, the hunter becomes the hunted, the powerless become powerful. The sheer level of detail he crams in is amazing—you can almost smell the savory revenge wafting from those pots. Dark, very dark, humor. I bet Terry Pratchett would’ve loved this. Curator: The Northern Renaissance loved moralizing tales, and this scene is a great example. Van Meckenem invites us to consider the cyclical nature of violence and oppression, reminding us that roles can be reversed and that those who are in power can become victims. Editor: The border with all the curling foliage really emphasizes the wild, almost carnivalesque nature of the scene. It’s controlled chaos, wouldn't you say? Are those dogs having a cheeky nibble too? Curator: It seems even the natural order is disrupted, suggesting a world turned upside down, influenced by both economic and social factors. And given Van Meckenem’s reliance on printmaking, this sentiment could reach an extensive, and increasingly literate, audience. Editor: Well, that makes sense, because it hits you with the power dynamic theme and a sort of childlike surrealness. Makes you think about injustice and fairness, without lecturing you! I’m completely smitten! Curator: This darkly comical piece from van Meckenem provides an incredibly relevant look at hierarchies and reversals—especially during an era defined by rapidly changing cultural and economic mores. Editor: Definitely! It’s a weirdly wonderful memento mori—but with fluffy bunnies holding the cleavers. Who wouldn't love it?