Vijf valkeniers te paard 1483 - 1526

Hans Burgkmair's intaglio print, presents five falconers on horseback, their birds perched proudly, symbols of nobility and the ancient sport of falconry. This motif echoes through history, from ancient Egyptian depictions of gods with falcon heads to medieval tapestries celebrating aristocratic pastimes. The falcon, a fierce predator, becomes an emblem of control and status, a visual shorthand for power. Consider how the motif appears in Mughal miniatures, where falconry is interwoven with imperial grandeur. Yet, here in Burgkmair's print, there's a starker, Northern European sensibility. The riders' expressions are solemn, the landscape austere. This is not merely a celebration of sport but a reflection on humanity's relationship with nature, a dance between mastery and the untamed. It subtly reminds us of our primal instincts and the atavistic thrill of the hunt.