"Weighing the Deer." 1827 - 1889

Thomas Lewis Atkinson made this print, "Weighing the Deer," in 19th century Britain. It shows men weighing a freshly killed deer while women and children look on. The image is striking for its depiction of class distinctions. You can see wealthy landowners, with their dogs, observing the weighing. Meanwhile, working-class staff, including women and children, are doing the work of preparing the kill. The scene reveals a culture of hunting that was common in the British countryside. Deer hunting was often a sport for the wealthy. It also reveals the important role of gamekeepers and other estate workers in processing game for consumption or sale. To better understand this image, we might look at sporting magazines from the period or records from country estates, which show that hunting was deeply embedded in the social and economic life of rural Britain. The meaning of this artwork is contingent on the culture in which it was made.