Leeuwenjacht 1622 - 1652

Gillis Peeters created this print, "Lion Hunt," sometime in the first half of the 17th century using etching. It depicts a lion being attacked by dogs in what was then referred to as Barbary. The image's meaning is constructed through visual codes, such as the contrast between the wild lion and the domesticated dogs. The term "Barbary" itself is a cultural reference to the North African coast, a region associated in the European imagination with exoticism, danger, and the "other." This work was made in the Netherlands, a major maritime power at the time. The economic structure of Dutch society was heavily reliant on overseas trade, including trade with North Africa. This print could be interpreted as a reflection of the Dutch Republic's relationship with the region. Does it celebrate the triumph over the wild? Is it self-consciously colonial? To understand this print better, you could research Dutch trade relations with North Africa in the 17th century. By examining the social and institutional contexts of its creation, we can interpret its role in shaping perceptions of other cultures.