Otter Hunting

About this artwork

Purchased with the support of the F.G. Waller-Fonds

Art Historical Context

Richard Gaywood's *Otter Hunting* (1671) is a lively etching capturing the thrill of a traditional English country pursuit. Measuring 168mm by 229mm, this intimate print depicts hunters and hounds in spirited action along a riverbank, reflecting the era's fascination with field sports among the gentry. Gaywood, a prominent 17th-century English engraver active in London, was renowned for his reproductive prints that brought popular scenes to a wider audience through affordable multiples. Etching, the medium here, was a revolutionary intaglio technique in Gaywood's time, where acid etched fine lines into a copper plate for tonal depth and expressive freedom—ideal for conveying the dynamic motion of the hunt. Created during the Restoration period under Charles II, when hunting revived as a symbol of royal and aristocratic leisure, the work offers a window into 17th-century rural life and social customs. Otter hunting, though controversial today for its cruelty, was then a celebrated test of skill against a cunning quarry. Acquired with support from the F.G. Waller-Fonds, this piece highlights the enduring appeal of Gaywood's meticulous draftsmanship, blending historical documentation with artistic vigor for modern viewers.

About the Artist

Richard Gaywood · 1620–1680

Richard Gaywood (fl. 1650–1680) was an English engraver and printmaker who became the most prolific etcher working for the London print trade during the tumultuous years between the English Civil Wars and the Restoration. A pupil of the renowned Wenceslaus Hollar, Gaywood mastered his teacher's distinctive style while developing a thriving practice creating portraits and book frontispieces for Lon...