Springend hert, naar links 1775 - 1833

Jean Bernard created this delicate drawing of a leaping stag in pen and brush with grey ink. Consider the cultural context of the late 18th and early 19th centuries when Bernard was active. Hunting, often reserved for the aristocracy, was deeply intertwined with social status and power. Animals, like this stag, became symbols of both natural beauty and aristocratic privilege. Bernard's precise rendering invites us to consider both the aesthetic appeal of the animal and the socio-political implications of its representation. Does the stag represent freedom and wildness, or is it merely a trophy, a symbol of human dominance over nature? It is as if Bernard asks us to reflect on our own relationship with the natural world.