Artwork
Rückkehr von der Jagd
Rückkehr von der Jagd is an unspecified painting by August Querfurt. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Created circa 1750, this oil on canvas portrays a hunting party returning from the chase.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1750, this oil on canvas portrays a hunting party returning from the chase. A group of riders and footmen, dressed in period attire, move across a gently rolling countryside under a cloud‑filled sky. The composition balances figures on horseback with those on foot, set against distant hills and modest structures, conveying the orderly conclusion of a rural pursuit.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates a post‑hunt procession, emphasizing the social hierarchy of the participants. Mounted men in uniformed coats lead the white and brown horses, while attendants on foot attend to the animals. The scene celebrates the ritual of the hunt as a display of camaraderie, control over nature, and the status of the participants within an aristocratic leisure culture.
Technique & Style
The painter employs a restrained palette of earthy browns and muted greens, punctuated by brighter hues in the clothing, to differentiate figures.
The painter employs a restrained palette of earthy browns and muted greens, punctuated by brighter hues in the clothing, to differentiate figures. Subtle chiaroscuro models the bodies and horses, giving them a three‑dimensional presence against the landscape. The composition reflects the influence of 17th‑century battle and genre painters, with a clear, narrative focus and a balanced arrangement of foreground activity and background depth.
History & Provenance
The canvas belongs to the collection of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it has been displayed since its acquisition in the 19th century. Its attribution to August Querfurt, an Austrian artist noted for military and hunting subjects, rests on stylistic analysis and archival records linking the work to his productive period around the mid‑1700s.
Context
Querfurt trained under his father, a specialist in animal and landscape painting, before studying with the German artist Rugendas in Augsburg. His oeuvre reflects the tastes of Central European aristocracy, who commissioned scenes of cavalry maneuvers and hunts. The painting thus fits within a broader tradition of depicting elite outdoor pursuits, echoing earlier influences such as Wouwerman, Parrocel and Van der Meulen.
Artist & collection
Artist
August Querfurt (1696, Wolfenbüttel – 1761, Vienna) was an Austrian painter. He painted primarily soldiers and battle scenes. He was first instructed by his father, Tobias Querfurt, a landscape and animal painter, and…
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