In the foreground the huntsman is disembowelling the deer; his gun lies on the ground beside him. In the background, left of centre, a stag hunt is taking place. At this period pictures with hunting subjects were usually painted for the aristocracy, as hunting was an aristocratic privilege in the Dutch Republic of the 17th century.
After his return from Italy in 1647, Jan Baptist Weenix always signed his name in its Italian form.
