Jost Amman (1539-1591) - Hasenjagd

Jost Amman (1539–1591) – “Hare Hunt” – Original Woodcut – Frankfurt, 1582 – Hand-Coloured
Rare original 16th-century woodcut attributed to the important Swiss-German Renaissance artist Jost Amman (1539–1591).

The scene depicts a highly animated hare hunt, with numerous hunting dogs pursuing hares through a wooded landscape, accompanied by hunters on foot and horseback.

The detailed composition provides a fascinating visual record of hunting practices and culture during the Renaissance.

The woodcut forms part of an original double-sided printed book leaf. The recto is numbered 169 and bears the heading “Vom Jagen” (“On Hunting”), while the verso continues with page 170, headed “Erster Theil” (“First Part”).

The leaf is associated with the hunting publication “Neuw Jag vnnd Weydwerck Buch”, published in Frankfurt am Main in 1582, an important German hunting book illustrated with woodcuts by Jost Amman.

The woodcut is particularly attractive due to its historical hand-colouring, with shades of green, blue, red, brown and yellow enhancing the lively hunting scene. The colouring is described simply as “hand-coloured”; its exact date cannot be guaranteed.

An old dealer's label is preserved on the reverse of the framing:

Buch- und Kunstantiquariat Hans Marcus
Düsseldorf, Grabenstraße 11a
The historic label identifies the work as:
“Hasenjagd – original Holzschnitt, handkoloriert von Jost Amman 1582”
(“Hare Hunt – original woodcut, hand-coloured, by Jost Amman, 1582”)

This historical dealer's label accompanies the work and provides an interesting element of its collecting history.

Details

Artist: Jost Amman (1539–1591)
Subject: Hare Hunt / Hasenjagd
Technique: Original woodcut on paper
Colouring: Hand-coloured
Date: 1582 / 16th century
Place of publication: Frankfurt am Main
Book pages: 169–170
Heading: “Vom Jagen”
Period: Renaissance
Presentation: Framed under glass
Frame dimensions: approx. 24 × 29 cm
Visible leaf dimensions: approx. 15 × 18 cm

Provenance: Buch- und Kunstantiquariat Hans Marcus, Düsseldorf; subsequently private collection, Freiburg, Germany

Condition

Considering its age of more than 400 years, the leaf is in good age-related condition. Natural ageing, minor discolouration and traces of wear to the historic paper are visible. The printed image remains well defined and the hand-colouring is visually attractive.

The leaf has not been removed from the frame; consequently, the concealed margins and the exact method of mounting have not been examined.

The frame shows age-related signs of use and is included as part of the presentation.
An attractive and highly collectible example of German Renaissance printmaking and 16th-century hunting imagery.

The lot will be carefully packed and shipped with tracking.