Valkenjacht 1852 - 1854

Willem de Famars Testas made this drawing called Valkenjacht using pen in brown and brush in grey. He was born in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, and much of his work revolves around themes and images stemming from the Orient. This sketch depicts figures on horseback during a falconry hunt, an aristocratic activity that dates back centuries. Falconry carries complex colonial undertones, often functioning as a tool of cultural exchange and diplomacy between the West and the Middle East. European rulers saw the activity as a noble pursuit, a marker of wealth and status. Testas was fascinated by the East. Here, he uses delicate brushwork to evoke a sense of motion and spectacle. The cultural narrative highlights falconry as more than sport; it symbolizes power, identity, and the cross-cultural relationships forged through exploration and exchange.