Haas rennend door het land 1840 - 1880

Editor: Here we have “Hare Running Through the Country” by Johannes Tavenraat, made sometime between 1840 and 1880, using pen, pencil, and ink on paper. It feels unfinished, almost dreamlike. What symbols or interpretations come to mind when you look at it? Curator: The hare itself is rich in symbolic meaning. Across cultures, it represents vulnerability and speed, and even transformation with its seasonal color changes. Notice how Tavenraat captures its frantic energy with those quick, repetitive lines. Does the landscape contribute to this feeling? Editor: I suppose the lack of detail makes it seem like the hare could be running anywhere, heightening the sense of its vulnerability and isolating the animal. Curator: Precisely. Consider too the medium—drawings are often studies or preparatory works. Could this be Tavenraat exploring themes of nature, mortality, or the hunt, ideas prevalent in Romanticism? What effect does its incomplete state have on you? Editor: It makes it seem more immediate, more personal. Like catching a fleeting moment of raw, natural energy. I’m intrigued by the other sketch-like additions as they fade to the foreground – faces almost? Curator: Good observation! They are ghostly presences. Does their placement remind you of portraiture and psychological introspection, as one is emerging or receding back into one's consciousness? Tavenraat uses nature to mirror deeper psychological themes perhaps? Editor: I hadn't considered the connection between the animal and almost internal, reflective side of being, but it makes total sense! Thank you! Curator: It is an excellent question you posed at the start, leading to this unexpected reflection.