De groote vermakelyke harte-jagt 1715 - 1813

This is 'The Great and Amusing Deer Hunt,' a print made by the heirs of Cornelis Stichter. The print is made by cutting lines into a metal plate, likely copper, inking the surface, and then pressing paper against it. The incised lines hold the ink, transferring the image onto the page. It is a reproducible medium, suited to capturing narrative sequences. The rough, illustrative style reflects the print's likely function as a cheap and popular form of entertainment. It's not high art, but a commodity produced for mass consumption. Consider how many impressions might have been pulled from this plate, each copy contributing to the Stichter estate’s income. The repetitive labor involved in printing contrasts sharply with the aristocratic leisure depicted in the hunting scenes. This tension between production and representation invites us to think critically about social class and the economics of image-making in the early modern world.