Artwork

Jahreszeiten mit Jagddarstellungen: Frühling (Falkner mit Falkenbeize) und Sommer (Vogelsteller mit Vogelfang und Entenjagd)

Jahreszeiten mit Jagddarstellungen: Frühling (Falkner mit Falkenbeize) und Sommer (Vogelsteller mit Vogelfang und Entenjagd) is an unspecified painting by Johann Jacob Besserer. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1650 by Johann Jacob Besserer, this oil painting is part of the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. It presents a tranquil outdoor setting in which two figures stand before a tree, accompanied by a dog and a bird, while a distant castle and gentle hills frame the background.

Subject & Meaning

The work juxtaposes two seasonal motifs—spring and summer—through the attire and activities of the men. The figure in red, identified as a falconer, holds a falcon, while the man in green, a bird‑catcher, is shown with a net and a duck, suggesting the period’s hunting practices and their symbolic association with the changing year.

Technique & Style

Besserer employs a balanced composition, using soft chiaroscuro to model the figures and a muted palette that emphasizes the natural surroundings. The circular, gold‑bordered object hanging from the tree adds a decorative element typical of mid‑seventeenth‑century Central European genre painting.

History & Provenance

The painting entered the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s holdings in the early twentieth century, though earlier ownership records are scarce. Its attribution to Besserer, a lesser‑known Austrian painter active in the mid‑1600s, rests on stylistic analysis and comparative studies with his documented works.