Bijzonder groot hert 1741

This print, *Bijzonder groot hert* or "Particularly Large Deer," was made by Johann Elias Ridinger. Although undated, the inscription gives us a clue, referencing a stag that was hunted near Dassel, Germany, in 1675. As the term "hunted" suggests, the image can be seen in the context of courtly life and aristocratic privilege. Hunting was very popular among the elites, not only as a sport but also as a display of power and control over nature. Ridinger produced numerous prints of animals for an aristocratic clientele interested in the natural world. The inscription below the image, in German, is a further indication of the intended audience. Prints such as this were often collected and kept in albums or portfolios, or used to decorate the walls of country houses and hunting lodges. To understand this image better, one might delve into the history of hunting practices in 17th-century Germany. Remember that art's meaning is always shaped by the social and institutional contexts in which it is created and viewed.