Valkenjacht op fazanten 1671

Richard Gaywood created this engraving called ‘Valkenjacht op fazanten’ - or ‘Feasant Hawking’ - sometime in the 17th century. The image shows a group of figures engaged in a hunt with dogs and birds of prey. Prints such as these had a vital function in early modern Europe. They not only circulated images and ideas to a wider audience, but they also visualized social hierarchies. Here, the act of hunting is clearly associated with the upper classes. They are the only ones who had access to land, horses, dogs and falcons; and furthermore the leisure time to engage in these activities. The verses below the image reinforce the class dimensions of the imagery; they depict a world in which the natural order of things is preserved. By examining archival sources, historians can shed further light on the meaning and purpose of works such as this. They help us to understand the relationship between artistic representation and social reality.