Jacht op een struisvogel 1595

This engraving by Antonio Tempesta depicts a scene of men hunting ostriches. It is filled with the symbolism of the hunt, a motif deeply embedded in the human psyche. The spear, the central instrument of this hunt, speaks to us of primal struggles. Consider its evolution from a simple sharpened stick to a complex tool of war and sport. Its presence here recalls not just the act of hunting, but also echoes through millennia of symbolic meanings associated with power, dominance, and even sacrifice. Notice also the figures on horseback, a motif reminiscent of equestrian statues from antiquity, which were used to celebrate military triumphs. The hunt, like war, tests the hunter’s courage, skill, and capacity for violence. It's an archetype, resurfacing time and again across cultures, and serving as a reminder of the raw, untamed aspects of human nature.