A late fifteenth-century drypoint engraving depicting a group of noble figures preparing for a hunt, rendered with fluid, delicate lines.

This drypoint engraving, titled Departure for the Hunt, is attributed to the Master of the Amsterdam Cabinet, an anonymous German artist active in the late fifteenth century. The work displays the characteristic soft, velvety lines achieved through the drypoint technique, where the artist scratches directly into the metal plate. This method creates a burr that holds ink differently than traditional engraving, resulting in the delicate tonal variations visible in the figures and the surrounding foliage.

The composition depicts a group of aristocratic figures preparing for a hunt. The riders are dressed in the fashionable attire of the period, complete with elaborate headgear and flowing garments. Their horses are rendered with attention to their musculature and movement, while hunting dogs occupy the foreground, adding a sense of activity to the scene. The background features a lightly sketched woodland area, providing context to the narrative without overwhelming the primary subjects.

As a practitioner of the Northern Renaissance, the artist focuses on the observation of daily life and social customs. The figures possess a distinct grace, typical of the artist's style, which often features elongated proportions and expressive facial features. The work provides a window into the leisure activities of the late medieval nobility. The artist is named for the collection of his prints held in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which remains the primary source for identifying his oeuvre. This print demonstrates the technical skill and observational capacity that define his contribution to early printmaking history. The lack of heavy cross-hatching, replaced by more fluid, sketch-like marks, distinguishes this work from the more rigid engraving styles of his contemporaries.