Jacht op dassen 1578

Philips Galle made this engraving, “Badger Hunt”, sometime between 1550 and 1600. During this period, the Netherlands was undergoing significant social and economic changes, moving from an agrarian society to one increasingly focused on trade and commerce. In this print, we see the activity of a badger hunt. The laborers engage in a rural scene of digging, lifting, and carrying. The image provides a window into the relationship between humans and animals, and the natural world. It prompts us to consider the ways in which people interact with their environment and the ethical dimensions of those interactions. This image offers us a glimpse into the lives and labors of ordinary people. It invites us to reflect on the complexities of human existence, our relationship to labor, and our connection to the natural world.