The Tiger Hunt

The Tiger Hunt (c. 1617-18) at the Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes is one of Rubens's great hunting compositions — a series of monumental canvases depicting violent encounters between mounted hunters and exotic animals (lion, tiger, hippopotamus, crocodile, wolf, fox, boar) that became among the most celebrated and copied images he produced. The series drew on multiple sources: classical reliefs of animal combat from the Column of Trajan and various sarcophagi; Leonardo's Battle of Anghiari, whose swirling vortex of combat Rubens had studied from a copy in Mantua; and Rubens's own observations of live animals in the aristocratic menageries of his patrons. The tiger, an exotic Asian predator unknown to most Europeans except through reports and crude illustrations, gave Rubens the compositional challenge of depicting a dangerous animal that few of his contemporaries or patrons would have seen, requiring him to rely on systematic study of available specimens. The Rennes museum's holding reflects the French regional museums' significant accumulations of important Flemish Baroque works.

The composition explodes with violent movement as hunters, horses, and exotic cats are locked in a spiraling melee. Rubens' dynamic brushwork and powerful anatomical modeling create an overwhelming sense of physical danger and primal conflict.

This dramatic hunting scene has suffered some condition issues over the centuries. Areas of the dark background have become less transparent. The canvas has been relined multiple times. Conservation has addressed paint losses, particularly in the peripheral areas. The central figural group remains in strong condition.