Eggevoort c. 16th century

Editor: Here we have "Eggevoort" by Hans Collaert the Elder. It's an etching, and the detail is just incredible. What strikes me is the contrast between the hunting scene and the everyday life depicted in the background. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a careful depiction of labor and leisure. The act of hunting, seemingly for sport, required specific tools and skills. Consider the production of those weapons, the training of the dogs, and the overall societal investment in this activity versus the agrarian labor in the background. Editor: That's a really interesting point. It makes you wonder about the value placed on different types of work at the time. Curator: Exactly. And how the consumption of resources – the land, the animals – is presented within this visual economy. What did you learn? Editor: I learned to look beyond the initial scene and consider the layers of production and consumption.