Dead stag and a hound 1730 - 1765

Curator: This Baroque sculpture, "Dead Stag and a Hound," dating roughly from 1730 to 1765, is the work of Ferdinand Tietz, carved meticulously from wood. Editor: It feels so theatrical! All that dramatic angling and detail piled onto a small stage of a base… almost violently decorative. Curator: Indeed. Tietz seemed fascinated by capturing moments of high drama. Look closely—the craftsmanship in rendering the textures of fur, muscle, and even the foliage is incredible. You can see the intensity of the hunt etched in the hound's posture. Editor: I’m struck by the labor. Imagine the hours upon hours it must have taken to coax this level of detail from a block of wood. The almost manic level of carving; I wonder about Tietz’s relationship to his materials. Curator: We know that Tietz often worked for ecclesiastical patrons, creating sculptures for churches and chapels. While the hunting scene might seem secular, consider its allegorical possibilities. The stag, often associated with Christ, meeting its end could evoke themes of sacrifice. Editor: Sacrifice, or perhaps power? Think about the patronage of hunting scenes—symbols of aristocratic privilege and access to resources…This is no mere nature scene. Curator: I agree it’s multifaceted. The dynamic composition keeps drawing my eye. The tension between stillness (of the stag) and movement (of the hound) generates emotional impact. The limited color palette, warm creams, enhances the piece’s sense of antiquity. Editor: The act of making—choosing to render something so ephemeral in wood lends this carving an unexpected sense of weight. This tension, between the material itself and what the scene represents, reveals such a nuanced take on labor, class, and artistic intent. Curator: Examining Tietz's hand in it all invites endless musing. Editor: Indeed! I never thought I'd spend so long contemplating a carved stag and a dog today. It’s deceptively layered.