Hunter and Hounds with Dead Hare

Paulus Potter executed the oil painting Hunter and Hounds with Dead Hare in 1650 on a wooden panel, measuring 17.3 cm in height by 39.5 cm in width. The work depicts a hunting scene featuring a man, identified as John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, together with hounds and a dead hare. It is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg.

The available records do not list a specific inventory number or detail any past exhibitions for the piece.

Paulus Potter's 1650 painting Hunter and Hounds with Dead Hare depicts a man, hare, and hound linked to John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, reflecting Dutch Golden Age hunting themes and aristocratic patronage. The work is housed in the Hermitage Museum, where its composition and symbolism have been studied for insights into 17th-century wildlife representation and social status signaling through sport. Scholars analyze its technical handling within Potter's broader oeuvre, noting the integration of naturalistic animal detail with narrative elements tied to courtly hunts, situating it within discussions of Dutch realism and elite cultural practices.

The painting's influence is noted through its inclusion in a major museum collection and scholarly references to Dutch Golden Age hunting scenes. It remains part of the Hermitage Museum's collection, where it is cataloged as a significant example of 17th-century Dutch genre painting. The work's legacy is tied to its representation of aristocratic hunting culture, with its composition reflecting the period's interest in naturalistic animal subjects and sporting themes.

Created circa 1650, this oil painting shows a 17th‑century gentleman in a wide‑brimmed hat and long coat holding a dead hare, flanked by a black and a white hunting dog. A distant figure walks with a staff, while a muted, earthy landscape recedes behind them. The composition centers on the interaction between the hunter and his animals, rendered with careful attention to light and shadow.