Le Debucher

The word “debucher” refers to a moment at which an animal that is being hunted suddenly emerges from the wood. It is a critical juncture, a moment of tension and excitement that Delacroix has captured in this stunning lithograph. As the group of hunters, astride their horses and dressed in vermillion colored coats, ride across the open fields and farmlands, a man in the center of the frame point toward the forest as the pack of hounds dart into the trees. The ominous grey sky seems to signal the fate of the hunted before we even witness the chase, and the earthy reds, browns and yellows of the trees in the autumnal season seem almost symbolic of the impending victory of the hunters.