Wilhelm Frederik van Royen

The subject of The Young Hunter rests in a pastoral setting with his dog and the animals killed on his hunt. This work represents two traditional genres in Dutch painting of the 1600s and 1700s. The first of these, the vanitas, is a still-life containing symbols of death or change, reminding viewers of their own mortality. The second genre, the jachtstilleven, or "gamepiece," is a still-life that includes game or a reference to hunting. Works like The Young Hunter bestowed an elevated sense of social status on their owners by emphasizing leisure activity and accumulated bounty.