.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
This lot depicts a hunter with his dogs at rest. The standard practice in coursing at the time employed two greyhounds and a spaniel, the latter being used to first find a hare by following its scent, after which the greyhounds were set to chase and kill it, the spaniel then interceded to 'protect' the hare until the hunter arrived. This picture shows four variously coloured greyhounds, all wearing a leather collar with D-rings and a swivel, nowadays known as Korthals Griffon collars; Rubens also painted greyhounds with these collars; beside the hounds are the smaller spaniels.
This type of hunting was practiced only on a small scale in The Netherlands, and mainly in the eastern part where the wildlife was more varied and greater in quantity. It was one of the favourite sports of William III, Stadholder of the United Provinces, who rebuilt the Court of Dieren and Het Loo to suit his hunting pleasures.
We are grateful to Mr. Simon Fuks for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.
This type of hunting was practiced only on a small scale in The Netherlands, and mainly in the eastern part where the wildlife was more varied and greater in quantity. It was one of the favourite sports of William III, Stadholder of the United Provinces, who rebuilt the Court of Dieren and Het Loo to suit his hunting pleasures.
We are grateful to Mr. Simon Fuks for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.