Landschap met jagers 1630 - 1660

This is "Landschap met jagers", made by François Collignon, some time in the 17th century. The etching shows a scene dominated by an intricate, almost overwhelming density of trees. Notice how Collignon uses line and form to create a landscape that feels both inviting and enclosing. The trees are not merely backdrop; they are active participants, their twisting branches and dense foliage forming a canopy that both shelters and obscures. The hunting party and the fleeing animals are dwarfed by the scale of nature, a deliberate choice that throws into question human dominance. The image plays with semiotic codes, presenting the hunt not just as a sport, but as a structured interplay between humanity and nature. Consider the composition: the artist destabilizes traditional landscape conventions by foregrounding the forest, making it the central subject rather than a mere setting. This shift suggests a move away from anthropocentric values, inviting us to contemplate nature's own complex systems.