Artwork
The Bear Hunt
The Bear Hunt is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Paulus Potter. It dates from 1649 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The stylistic approach emphasizes realistic depiction of fauna within a narrative hunting scene, using chiaroscuro to model forms and create depth.
The work is an oil painting on canvas, reflecting 17th-century Dutch painting practice. Potter applied oil pigments to a rectangular canvas support measuring 305 cm in height and 338 cm in width. The composition presents a naturalistic rendering of a bear hunt, with careful attention to anatomical detail and dynamic movement, characteristic of his contribution to animal art within the Dutch Golden Age.
The stylistic approach emphasizes realistic depiction of fauna within a narrative hunting scene, using chiaroscuro to model forms and create depth. Potter's brushwork combines precise detail in the animals' musculature with looser handling in the background landscape, balancing natural observation with compositional drama.
History & Provenance
The Bear Hunt is held in the Rijksmuseum collection under inventory number SK-C-5. The work was created in 1649 by Paulus Potter in oil on canvas, measuring 305 cm by 338 cm.
Context
Paulus Potter's 1649 painting The Bear Hunt exemplifies his expertise in animal scenes, reflecting his specialization in pastoral and wildlife subjects during the Dutch Golden Age. The work, housed in the Rijksmuseum, measures 305 cm in height and 338 cm in width.
Scholarship on Potter emphasizes his contribution to animal painting, situating him within 17th-century Dutch art, in which hunting scenes were valued for their dynamic compositions and naturalistic detail.
Overview
Created in 1649, The Bear Hunt is an oil on canvas by Dutch artist Paulus Potter. Executed during the height of the Dutch Golden Age, the painting portrays a lively hunting episode set in an open landscape, and it is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a rider in a red coat astride a dark horse, brandishing a sword while a pack of dogs assaults a white bear on the ground. A second figure clings to a tree, conveying alarm. The work captures the tension and ferocity of the chase, emphasizing the raw energy of the animals.
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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.
