{"product_id":"hippopotamus-and-crocodile-hunt-pieter-soutman","title":"Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt - Pieter Soutman","description":"\u003cp\u003eA dramatic Baroque etching by Pieter Soutman, based on a design by Peter Paul Rubens, depicting a chaotic hunt involving a hippopotamus and a crocodile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis print, executed by the Dutch artist Pieter Soutman, depicts a chaotic and violent encounter between hunters and exotic beasts. The composition is based on a design by Peter Paul Rubens, reflecting the dramatic energy characteristic of the Baroque period. The scene is packed with movement: rearing horses, muscular figures engaged in combat, and the central, snarling hippopotamus surrounded by hounds. A crocodile lies in the foreground, adding to the sense of peril and the exotic nature of the subject matter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoutman was a skilled printmaker who frequently collaborated with Rubens, translating the painter's grand compositions into the medium of etching and engraving. The technical execution demonstrates a mastery of line and shadow, using cross-hatching to build volume in the musculature of both the men and the animals. The figures are arranged in a dense, interlocking fashion, which draws the eye across the frame to capture every detail of the struggle. The Latin inscription at the bottom provides a moralising context for the scene, typical of the era's fascination with classical themes and the untamed power of nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a museum-grade fine art print, this work captures the tonal depth of the original copperplate. The contrast between the light-filled sky and the dark, tangled forms of the hunt creates a sense of depth and urgency. It is a compelling example of seventeenth-century printmaking, where the collaborative efforts of a designer and an engraver produced works of significant scale and ambition. This piece offers a glimpse into the European imagination of the time, where the depiction of distant, dangerous lands served as a popular subject for collectors and art enthusiasts alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/en-nz\/products\/hippopotamus-and-crocodile-hunt-willem-pietersz-de-leeuw\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eHippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt by Willem Pietersz. de Leeuw\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/en-nz\/products\/wolf-and-fox-hunt-peter-paul-rubens-1\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eWolf and Fox Hunt by Peter Paul Rubens\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Pieter Soutman","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58714012385615,"sku":null,"price":220.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58714012451151,"sku":null,"price":220.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58714012549455,"sku":null,"price":290.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58714012582223,"sku":null,"price":450.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58714012647759,"sku":null,"price":450.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Hippopotamus-and-Crocodile-Hunt_Poster_CompositorV1_1788864738906-q80.jpg?v=1792824676","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.com\/en-nz\/products\/hippopotamus-and-crocodile-hunt-pieter-soutman","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}