Lucas CranachGerman, 1472–1553The Stag Hunt
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “The Stag Hunt” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
As the court artist of Elector Frederick of Saxony, Lucas Cranach the Elder had the privilege of depicting the courtly entertainment of the stag hunt. Cranach was renowned for his depictions of hunting trophies in illusionistic trompe l’oeil murals; his contemporaries even claimed that his animal imagery was so lifelike that birds tried to land on the painted stags’ antlers. The grand scale of this two-part woodcut allowed Cranach to include copious details of the deer and dogs; the visible seam in the center demonstrates that the printing shop was not necessarily interested in matching the sides perfectly.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1945.62
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
In the life of Lucas Cranach
The whole life1501–1504 · Workplace
Vienna
1502–1504
First Contacts with Humanists in Vienna
During his stay in Vienna, Cranach made his first contacts with the leading humanists of his age and began signing his paintings "Lucas aus Kronach."
24 June 1504
First Record as Court Painter
Cranach's name first appears in the Wittenberg accounts: he received 50 guilders as a half-year's salary as pictor ducalis — painter to Elector Frederick the Wise.
1505 · Workplace
Lutherstadt Wittenberg
1508
Diplomatic Mission to Mechelen
He was sent on a diplomatic mission to Mechelen (Netherlands), where he painted portraits of Emperor Maximilian I and the future Emperor Charles V.
6 January 1508
Granted Nobility and a Coat of Arms
Cranach was granted nobility and a personal coat of arms — a winged serpent with a ruby ring in its mouth, which became the signature of his works and workshop.
