Bear Hunt 1514 - 1562

Virgil Solis made this print called Bear Hunt, sometime in the mid-16th century. We see two hunters accompanied by dogs, one jabbing at the bear with a spear, the other holding back his hounds. Hunting scenes like this were quite popular at the time in Germany. The imagery of hunting was closely tied to aristocratic pastimes and notions of dominance over the natural world. The bear, in particular, was often seen as a symbol of untamed wilderness. Through hunting, humans asserted their control, turning nature into a spectacle of power. The print also subtly reflects shifts in social status. As city life became more prominent, the idea of the hunt shifted from being a noble necessity to a symbolic display. Prints like this, sold at markets and fairs, played a role in distributing and reshaping elite ideals for a broader audience. To delve deeper into the meaning, we can look into game laws and hunting practices of the period. We can also look at printmaking traditions in Germany at the time, and how the institutions of art shaped the messages that were conveyed.