A Huntsman with a Dead Hare and a Dog (Study for "Terra")
1590/95
Medium
Pen and brown ink and brush and gray wash, over touches of charcoal, ruled with pen and black ink, on ivory laid paper, incised with a stylus for transfer, laid down on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Primary support: 16.7 × 13.7 cm (6 5/8 × 5 7/16 in.); Secondary support: 18.9 × 15.6 cm (7 1/2 × 6 3/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
31654
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
One of a group of four allegorical representations of the elements, this drawing reflects Jacques de Gheyn II’s innovative approach to the subject. Instead of gods and goddesses, De Gheyn chose earthly figures like a hunter to characterize Earth (Terra), a falconer to represent Air, a fisherman as Water, and a woman cooking game as Fire. The humble image belies his careful incorporation of different media: he layered ink and ink wash over a preliminary sketch executed in charcoal.
About the Artist
Jacques de Gheyn, II · 1565–1629
Jacques de Gheyn II (1565–1629) was born in Antwerp into an artistic family, receiving his earliest instruction from his father, Jacob de Gheyn I, a skilled glass painter, engraver, and draftsman. In 1585, the young de Gheyn moved to Haarlem, where he spent five formative years studying under Hendrik Goltzius, one of the most celebrated engravers of the Northern Renaissance. This apprenticeship pr...