“Stop and witness the raw, untamed energy of this monumental hunting scene. It's a whirlwind of horses, hounds, and hunters locked in a fierce battle with a wolf and foxes, capturing a moment of pure, dramatic action.”
Chaos erupts in this dramatic hunting scene, where a pack of dogs, horses, and humans clash with a wolf and two foxes. The canvas pulsates with energy, capturing a moment of intense struggle as the animals snarl and bite, and the hunters, some on horseback, wield spears and whips. Notice the way the composition guides your eye through a swirling vortex of action, from the rearing horses at the left to the central struggle on the ground. This painting exemplifies the dynamic movement and rich color characteristic of the Baroque style, a period that embraced dramatic narratives and emotional intensity. Painted around 1611, it reflects a fascination with the raw power of nature and the human attempt to control it.
- Artist
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Date
- 1611
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- 96 5/8 x 148 1/8 in. (245.4 x 376.2 cm)
- Collection
- European Paintings
- Credit line
- John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1910
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The snarling wolf caught mid-leap, teeth bared.
A hunter on a white horse, poised to strike with a spear.
The tangle of dogs, some already wounded, battling the foxes.
The red cloak of one hunter, a vivid splash of color amidst the chaos.
1 more detail is waiting.
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Peter Paul Rubens
1577–1640 · Spanish NetherlandsFlemish master who blended diplomacy with art, creating movement-filled Baroque masterpieces across Europe.
Further Works by Rubens
Portrait of a Woman, Probably Susanna Lunden (Susanna Fourment, 1599–1628)
1625 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Rubens, Helena Fourment (1614–1673), and Their Son Frans (1633–1678)
1630 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Glorification of the Eucharist
1630 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Capture of Samson
1609 · Art Institute of Chicago
Venus and Adonis
1610 · Museum Kunstpalast
Saint Francis
1615 · Art Institute of Chicago
St. Albert of Louvain
1620 · Art Institute of Chicago
The Adoration of the Eucharist
1626 · Art Institute of Chicago
More from Baroque
More works to explore
Beyond Rubens and Baroque: works from the same years.
Same era · 1590s–1620s
The Adoration of the Shepherds
El Greco · 1610
Same era · 1590s–1620s
Musical Company
Rembrandt · 1626 · Museum De Lakenhal
Same era · 1590s–1620s
Petrus Scriverius (1576–1660)
Frans Hals · 1626 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1590s–1620s
Winter Landscape with Snowfall near Antwerp
Jan Brueghel the Elder · 1610
Same era · 1590s–1620s
The Feast in the House of Simon
El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) and workshop · 1608 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1590s–1620s
Southern Barbarians
Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1625 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1590s–1620s
The Calling of Saint Matthew
Hendrick ter Brugghen · 1609 · Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Same era · 1590s–1620s
Peasant couple eating peas
Georges de La Tour · 1623 · Gemäldegalerie Berlin
Same era · 1590s–1620s
A Man Smoking and Another Man Eating by Candlelight
Willem van der Vliet · 1624 · Detroit Institute of Arts
Same era · 1590s–1620s
The Supper at Emmaus
Diego Velázquez · 1618 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1590s–1620s
An Allegory of Fruitfulness
Jacob Jordaens · 1620 · Wallace Collection
Same era · 1590s–1620s
La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 2 (verso)
Matthias Mignerak · 1605 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art




