Paard, figuurstudies en een zelfportret naar Rembrandt 1840 - 1846

Johannes Tavenraat created this graphite drawing, Paard, figuurstudies en een zelfportret naar Rembrandt, in 1840. Tavenraat's work is a window into the 19th-century Dutch art world, where artists often looked to the past for inspiration. Here, Tavenraat engages with Rembrandt, a giant of the Dutch Golden Age, by creating studies of figures in the master’s style, including what appears to be a self-portrait "naar Rembrandt," or "after Rembrandt." Tavenraat, working during a period of national self-reflection and romanticism, seems to be channeling Rembrandt’s spirit, perhaps reflecting a longing for a perceived "golden age" of Dutch identity and artistic achievement. The drawing, with its intimate and informal style, gives us insight into the artist’s own identity, through his perception and interpretation of Rembrandt’s persona. It is a conversation across time, an artist's search for connection with a cultural ancestor, echoing themes of identity, legacy, and the ever-evolving dialogue between past and present.