Wooded Landscape with Stag Hunt

At the center of this wooded landscape, a stag that has fallen prey to a pack of hunting dogs. As huntsmen gather, a company of riders and their dogs, depicted to the left, are watching the excitement.

This Stag Hunt has been associated with the Netherlandish landscapist Tobias Verhaecht. Although the sheet shows close affinity to Verhaecht’s drawing style, some uncharacteristic features leave room for speculation as to the drawing’s authorship. The work has an underdrawing in black chalk, which is atypical for Verhaecht. Likewise, the way the clouds are rendered, and the limited refinement in the background scene are unconventional for the artist. Despite the noticeable speed with which Verhaecht’s pen and ink drawings seem to have been made, his compositions never become messy, but always maintain a clarity and legibility; something that is not true for this drawing. The liveliness and action of this scene, moreover, is not often encountered in the otherwise very tranquil mountain views of Verhaecht.

Landscapes by Verhaecht and his fellow countrymen knew a great popularity among the contemporary audience, both locally and abroad. The possibility exists that this drawing was made by different, currently unidentified artist, who was working in the same vein.