Jacht op herten en wolven 1608 - 1621

Antonio Tempesta created this print, "Hunt for Deer and Wolves", using etching – a process of biting lines into a metal plate with acid, allowing for ink to be held, and then transferred to paper. Look closely, and you can see the decisive quality of the etched line, rendering this scene of aristocratic leisure. Hunting was a pastime reserved for the wealthy, and prints like this one served to advertise that status, making it available for collecting among a wider audience. In this picture, the printmaking process itself mirrors the social dynamic it portrays: etching allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images, democratizing access to luxury in a way analogous to the hunt itself, where animals formerly available to all became the exclusive preserve of the elite. The stark contrast of the lines captures a scene of both privilege and the labor required to sustain it. Next time you look at a print, remember to consider not just the image, but also the layers of meaning embedded in its making.