Artwork
The Hunts of Maximilian: The Stag Hunt (August)
The Hunts of Maximilian: The Stag Hunt (August) is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist Bernard Van Orley. It dates from 1529 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1529, *The Hunts of Maximilian: The Stag Hunt (August)* is a drawing by Brussels‑based Flemish artist Bernard van Orley. Executed on laid paper, the work combines pen, brown ink, brown wash, watercolor and black chalk to render a lively hunting scene.
Subject & Meaning
The composition portrays a stag hunt set in the wooded area of Dworp, close to the Steenputbeek stream, with a small village visible in the background. The image reflects the aristocratic pastime of organized hunts, a popular motif in early sixteenth‑century courtly culture.
Technique & Style
Van Orley employed a layered approach: initial outlines in black chalk, followed by pen work and brown ink for structure, then a brown wash and watercolor to model forms and suggest atmospheric depth. This mixed‑media method was typical of Flemish draftsmen seeking richer tonal variation in paper drawings.
History & Provenance
Bernard van Orley, a leading member of the Romanist circle, produced the drawing as part of a series illustrating the monthly hunts of Emperor Maximilian I. Although the artist never visited Italy, his style shows the influence of Italian Renaissance composition and perspective, filtered through a Northern European sensibility.
Context
The work belongs to a broader program of courtly propaganda that celebrated Maximilian’s reign through visual narratives of leisure and power. The series of hunts, each assigned to a month, combined detailed landscape observation with narrative detail, aligning with contemporary tastes for both naturalism and allegorical representation.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bernard van Orley (between 1487 and 1491 – 6 January 1541), also called Barend or Barent van Orley, Bernaert van Orley or Barend van Brussel, was a versatile Flemish artist and representative of Dutch and Flemish…
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