Law and Order in Rubens's Wolf and Fox Hunt

Abstract

When Rubens painted A Wolf and Fox Hunt (ca. 1616), he wanted to do more than simply revive the courtly hunting scene. This essay argues that the Hunt celebrates the Flemish nobility and the Hapsburgs, and alludes to specific regional circumstances. Taking as his starting point the hunting legislation of 1613, Rubens designed a scene illustrating the Hapsburg policies of law and order in the Spanish Netherlands and their restoration of the noble life-style, epitomized by hunting. Besides discussing other readings of the Hunt, this paper also considers the role of science in shaping Ruben's representation of the prey.

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