Schieten en villen van een ijsbeer, 1597 1598

"Schieten en villen van een ijsbeer" (Shooting and Skinning a Polar Bear), an anonymous 1598 woodcut from the Rijksmuseum, depicts a hunting scene in a snowy landscape. The image shows a group of hunters in traditional clothing, preparing to skin a freshly killed polar bear. The scene's detail, including the hunting tools, the polar bear's remains, and the hunters' clothing, provides a glimpse into 16th-century hunting practices and the harsh conditions of the Arctic environment. The woodcut is a fascinating example of early European representations of polar exploration and the encounters with polar bears.