Artwork
Bear Hunt
Bear Hunt is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Carl Borromäus Andreas Ruthart. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1700, *Bear Hunt* is an oil painting by the German-born artist Carl Borromäus Andreas Ruthart, who later worked under the name Frà Andrea. Executed during the Rococo era, the work belongs to the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp and presents a dramatic wildlife chase set in a forested landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a large bear forced to its hind legs amid a frenzy of hunting dogs. The animals clash amid trees and rocky outcrops, conveying a moment of intense struggle between predator and prey. The scene reflects Ruthart’s enduring fascination with the raw power and vulnerability of wild creatures.
Technique & Style
Ruthart employs a rich, earthy palette of browns, grays and occasional white highlights to model fur and musculature. Thickly applied paint creates a tactile surface that emphasizes the density of the animal coats, a technique akin to impasto. The dynamic arrangement and vigorous brushwork recall the energetic baroque tradition of Peter Paul Rubens, while retaining Rococo’s lighter tonal balance.
History & Provenance
After a career that shifted from Germany to Italy, Ruthart produced *Bear Hunt* as part of his series of animal studies. The painting entered the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp’s holdings in the 19th century, where it remains on display as a representative example of his work and of early‑18th‑century European animal painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Carl Borromäus Andreas Ruthart
Carl Borromäus Andreas Ruthart (1630 – c. 1703; also known as Carl Ruther and Karl Ruthard; in Italian as Carlo Borromeo Rutardo) was a German painter who spent most of his career in Italy. During the last years of his…
