The Hunter’s Present

Unknown artist

A hunter offers a dead bird to a young woman virtuously occupied with her sewing. Is he trying to seduce her? During the 17th century ‘vogelen’ (literally ‘to bird’) was slang for sexual intercourse. The statuette of Cupid, the god of love, on the cupboard also alludes to this. These kind of ‘hunter’s scenes’ – especially due to their possible double meaning – were a popular subject in painting.