Vijf jagers te paard bij de jacht naar edelherten 1483 - 1526

Hans Burgkmair created this print, "Five Hunters on Horseback Hunting Red Deer," capturing a scene of courtly pursuit. Note the lances each figure holds, topped with leafless twigs. These are not merely tools for the hunt; they are potent symbols. This "dead branch" motif, seemingly barren, echoes through history, symbolizing both mortality and latent life. We see it emerge in classical depictions of mourning, in the hand of Persephone, signaling the dormancy of winter. Yet, it also carries the promise of spring's return. Consider the ritualistic dance between life and death, ever present in the human psyche. This seemingly simple image of a hunting party resonates with our collective awareness of time's cyclical nature. It stirs within us the primal understanding that from death springs life, from barrenness, renewal. The dead branch transforms from a symbol of desolation into one of hopeful anticipation.