Ostrich Hunt

The etching Ostrich Hunt was part of a series of nine etchings probably done in Florence after della Bella’s return from Paris. The hunt was a favourite hobby of the Tuscan grand dukes and by the 1650s, it has become a frequent theme of Italian artists. The series, of which this etching is part, also depicts a hunt for a doe, boar, deer and buck. This etching alone depicts an animal that was not common in Europe.