Hunting with falcons

Horemans employed oil paint with a light, fluid brushwork characteristic of late Rococo. The palette is soft and atmospheric, with muted greens and earth tones blending into the landscape. Figures are rendered with delicate detail, particularly in fabric and posture, while the background recedes with gentle tonal shifts, creating depth without harsh contrast or dramatic lighting.

Commissioned by aristocratic patrons during Horemans’s time in Germany, the painting remained within European collections before entering the National Museum in Warsaw. Its presence there suggests post-war acquisitions or diplomatic transfers, though its exact path from court to museum remains undocumented in public records.

Falconry, though ancient in origin, persisted among European nobility as a symbol of heritage and refinement in the 18th century.

Falconry, though ancient in origin, persisted among European nobility as a symbol of heritage and refinement in the 18th century. Horemans’s depiction aligns with broader trends in genre painting that idealized aristocratic leisure, contrasting with the rising emphasis on realism or moral themes in other regions. His work reflects the cultural values of courts where art served to affirm social hierarchy.

Though not widely known outside specialist circles, Horemans’s paintings offer insight into the visual culture of minor German and Flemish courts. This work contributes to the understanding of how hunting scenes functioned as social documents rather than mere entertainment, preserving the aesthetics and rituals of a class whose influence waned with the 19th century.