Hert in een landschap 1666

Cornelis Saftleven rendered this drawing of a deer in a landscape with pen and brown ink, over graphite. Saftleven worked in a Netherlands undergoing significant social change, witnessing a complex interplay between rural life and urbanizing culture. The drawing captures a sense of rural life, yet it’s equally about the gaze through which we see it. Saftleven’s animal drawings often reflect human characteristics, inviting viewers to consider the relationship between humans and animals. In his time, the Netherlands was alive with debates about nature, and our place within it. Here the artist explores themes of nature through the lens of human perception. This image is as much a product of the culture that produced it as it is a depiction of the natural world. It presents a vision of nature that's both observed and imagined, reflecting the human desire to find meaning and connection in the world around us.