The Stag-Hunt
Original title: The Stag-Hunt
kurzbeschreibung
Lucas Cranach the Elder produced the woodcut Die Hirschjagd in 1506. The sheet presents an elaborately narrated hunting party with riders, hounds and a stag in an open landscape. This impression is the second state of the print.
Description
In the foreground several mounted riders and dogs move into the picture, as if they have just formed up for the hunt. Behind them a wood with trees and bushes opens out, adjoining a castle or fortified building. Beyond the bank, figures complete a river landscape. The layout stretches wide and draws the eye to the activity in the foreground. Black on white, without shading, light falls evenly across the whole surface.
Context
Cranach the Elder made this woodcut in 1506 in Wittenberg. Courtly hunting scenes were highly popular in the Renaissance and brought the pleasures of the nobility into the visual record. At that time the woodcut spread rapidly as a medium for printed graphics. Princely patrons who valued such scenes may lie behind the work.
Impact
The hunt comes vividly before the viewer, carried by the abundance of detail and the clear arrangement. The sheet feels calm and yet in motion through the even distribution of light and confident linework. Without dramatic climax, the gaze is drawn into the action and lingers on the many small incidents.
Technique
As a woodcut, the motif survives in two states; the present example belongs to the second. The process allowed fine lines and a nuanced rendering of details. That only black was printed on paper explains the monochrome appearance.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)