Mei: een jachtscène (tweelingen) 1599

This print, *Mei: een jachtscène (tweelingen)*, was created by Antonio Tempesta, an artist working in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Tempesta, an Italian, lived through a period of significant social and political change, including the Counter-Reformation and the rise of powerful aristocratic families. Here, we see a hunting scene, a popular subject among the elite, rendered with the exquisite detail characteristic of the period. Falconry, visible here, was a pastime of the aristocracy. This work reflects the values and social structures of its time. The prominent display of wealth and leisure contrasts starkly with the lives of the majority. The artist subtly weaves in themes of social hierarchy and perhaps even a critique of the privileges enjoyed by the few. The landscape is not merely a backdrop but a reflection of the social order, with the wealthy dominating the foreground. This artwork invites us to reflect on power dynamics and the ways in which they shape both art and society.