Jacht op bizons 1598

Antonio Tempesta made this print of a bison hunt in the late 16th or early 17th century, using etching techniques. The image depicts a group of men, some on horseback, hunting bison in a wooded landscape. Made in the Netherlands during a time of burgeoning trade with the Americas, this image presents an opportunity to consider the European fascination with the 'New World' and its resources. The hunters, dressed in what appear to be vaguely 'oriental' costumes, may reflect a generalized European view of non-Western peoples. Were bison hunts common in the Netherlands at this time? Or is it more likely that Tempesta was working from written accounts, perhaps even constructing an idea of what America was? The Rijksmuseum's collection database, along with other historical sources such as travelogues and colonial records, can help us understand how the European view of other cultures was constructed and circulated during this period.