Artwork
Hunter and Hounds being Judged
Hunter and Hounds being Judged is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Paulus Potter. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition includes a man on horseback, a goat, an elephant, a lion, a wolf, a fox, a deer, a bull and a wild boar (Sus scrofa), all observed by onlookers.
The painting shows a courtroom‑like scene in which a hunter presents a captured hare to a group of onlookers accompanied by a pack of hounds. The composition includes a man on horseback, a goat, an elephant, a lion, a wolf, a fox, a deer, a bull and a wild boar (Sus scrofa), all observed by onlookers. These varied animals function as symbolic participants in a moral allegory about the judgment of hunters and their prey.
By juxtaposing domestic and exotic beasts with the hunter, Potter suggests the universality of the act of hunting and the judgment it invites. The work is part of the Hermitage Museum collection and was painted in 1650 by Paulus Potter.
Technique & Style
Hunter and Hounds being Judged is executed in oil paint, the medium in which Paulus Potter worked throughout his practice. The work is classified as a painting and falls within the genre-scene tradition, depicting a dense assembly of figures and animals including a man, hound, horse, goat, elephant, lion, boar, wolf, fox, deer, bull, and a judicial sentence. The composition unites numerous animal species alongside a human figure within a single judged tableau, suggesting Potter's characteristic handling of crowded pastoral and animal groupings rendered in oil.
The painting is held in the Hermitage Museum collection. Beyond the identification of oil paint as the medium and the genre-scene classification, the available documentation does not detail the support, dimensions, brushwork, palette, or present condition of the work.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Hunter and Hounds being Judged was created by the Dutch artist Paulus Potter in 1650. Executed in oil paint, the work belongs to the genre art category and depicts a complex scene involving a man, various animals including hounds, horses, goats, elephants, lions, and other wildlife, alongside a judgment or sentencing motif. The Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg currently holds the piece in its collection.
While the specific commission details and the immediate chain of ownership prior to its arrival at the Hermitage are not detailed in the provided records, the work's inception is firmly dated to 1650, reflecting Potter's mature period of genre painting.
The painting Hunter and Hounds being Judged, created by Paulus Potter in 1650, is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. While the work is confirmed to be part of this institution's holdings, the provided records do not specify a unique inventory or accession number for the piece. Furthermore, there is no available information within the current sources regarding any past or present exhibitions featuring this specific artwork.
Overview
Paulus Potter's Hunter and Hounds being Judged, an oil painting from approximately 1650, exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age artist's focus on animal subjects. This genre scene brings together a diverse array of creatures, both wild and domesticated, within a natural setting. The work is currently housed at the State Hermitage Museum, representing a significant piece from Potter's brief yet prolific career.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paulus Potter (Dutch pronunciation:; 20 November 1625 (baptised) – 17 January 1654 (buried)) was a Dutch painter who specialized in landscapes featuring animals, often from a low vantage point.
