Jacht op everzwijnen 1608 - 1621

This is Antonio Tempesta’s etching of a boar hunt, teeming with the symbols of the aristocratic chase. The hunt, a tradition harking back to ancient times, is laden with social and symbolic weight. Note the prominence of the boar, historically a symbol of untamed wildness, its pursuit a test of human mastery over nature. Consider how the spear, wielded by the central rider, mirrors the lances of medieval knights, each a symbol of power and control. The horses too, are not mere transportation, but emblems of status and nobility, prancing through the scene with an almost theatrical flair. Even the dogs, attacking ferociously, evoke primordial instincts of loyalty and aggression. This age-old dynamic, deeply etched in our collective psyche, makes this a powerful image and connects the here and now with ancestral memories of conquest and social hierarchy.