Design for an Illustration to Hans Friedrich von Fleming, "Der Volkommene Teursche Jäger..." Leipzig 1719 1714 - 1724

Editor: This drawing, “Design for an Illustration to Hans Friedrich von Fleming, "Der Volkommene Teutsche Jäger..." Leipzig 1719,” comes from the hand of an anonymous artist sometime between 1714 and 1724. I’m struck by its theatrical quality – like a stage set teeming with figures in meticulously organized chaos. It’s like the hunt is being performed rather than just happening. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: The theatre! Absolutely. And something more – an obsessive, playful order. Look at how everything is simultaneously contained, and brimming with chaotic life! Almost vibrating... Like a memory! What happens when you imagine being inside this…event? What textures and sounds do you find? Editor: Well, I imagine the air would be cold, but ringing with the sound of dogs barking, horns blaring, and the shouts of the hunters. The ground probably muddy underfoot. It does feel strangely contained, almost claustrophobic, despite the scale of it all. The repeating pattern of those decorations hanging from the fence feels kind of oppressive now that you point it out. It’s no ordinary hunt, is it? Curator: Indeed. Hunting was – and in many ways remains! – a powerful marker of class and social status. A deeply theatrical affair! A staged drama involving carefully defined roles and rules. Beyond just acquiring food – because honestly, you wouldn't feed an army with what we see here - hunts served a more symbolic function. I think this is a ritualized display of power, a tightly choreographed spectacle where man asserts dominance over nature. This artist sees something of the circus in the whole ordeal, don’t you think? Editor: I see what you mean about the class aspect; now it’s so obvious with everyone on horses, dressed to the nines. The circus connection resonates; it adds a layer of absurdity to the whole scene. Like, “look how seriously we’re taking this, isn’t it ridiculous?” Curator: Exactly. It is history…relived… and ever slightly mocked. Don’t you just love those tiny, knowing details? Editor: I definitely see it differently now! I love how those details, when viewed from the right lens, turn a simple scene into social commentary.