Artwork
Lion Hunt
Lion Hunt is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Schelte Adams Bolswert. It dates from 1622 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Schelte Adamsz.
About this work
Overview
Executed on laid paper, the work is a black‑and‑white engraving that captures a tumultuous chase involving mounted hunters, lions and other beasts.
Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert, a Frisian engraver active in early‑17th‑century Antwerp, produced the print titled *Lion Hunt* in 1622. Executed on laid paper, the work is a black‑and‑white engraving that captures a tumultuous chase involving mounted hunters, lions and other beasts. The composition is densely populated, with riders on rearing horses, fallen figures, and snarling animals rendered through intricate line work.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays a violent hunting episode where several horsemen confront lions and additional wild creatures. The riders, armed with swords and spears, are shown in twisted, dynamic poses, emphasizing the peril and chaos of the encounter. Fallen bodies tangled with the beasts underscore the danger inherent in such spectacles, reflecting contemporary fascination with exotic hunts as demonstrations of power and bravery.
Technique & Style
Bolswert employed cross‑hatching, layering intersecting lines to build tonal depth and suggest movement. This method creates rich shadows and a sense of three‑dimensionality within the flat medium of engraving. The fine, sharply rendered lines on the laid paper give the scene a crisp, graphic quality, while the dense hatching in darker areas intensifies the drama of the violent action.
History & Provenance
Bolswert worked closely with the workshop of Peter Paul Rubens, specializing in reproductive prints after leading painters such as Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. *Lion Hunt* exemplifies his role in disseminating the visual language of Antwerp’s leading artists to a broader audience. The print was likely circulated among collectors and connoisseurs interested in the dramatic subjects favored by the Baroque period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Schelte a Bolswert or Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (c. 1586 – 1659) was a Frisian engraver who worked most of his career in Antwerp where he was one of the lead engravers in Rubens' workshop. He is known for his…
