A Hunting Scene

People and mythological creatures hunt within an imagined early history of humanity. The museum connects the subject with Lucretius’s account of civilisation. Its learned theme and extended horizontal format suggest a painting intended for an educated patron’s study.

A white quadruped crouches over a golden-maned beast. Animal conflict belongs to the broader account of an early world.

A nude figure raises both arms beside a tree. The strong gesture joins numerous simultaneous confrontations.

A pale figure beside the trunk holds a brown animal. Interwoven bodies require close viewing to distinguish the struggle’s participants.

A goat-legged creature carries a person near the right edge. Mythological beings inhabit the same world as humans and animals.

Tall trunks divide the crowded woodland. Trees help organise the long sequence of actions.

Dark projecting rocks enclose the left background. Unsettled nature suits the imagined early condition of humanity.

Piero di Cosimo designed Florentine processions and pageants. His experience of spectacle met patrons’ interest in ancient texts. The painting combines learned content with an elaborate imaginative staging.