Jachthond 1840 - 1880

Johannes Tavenraat made this drawing of a hunting dog with pen in the Netherlands, sometime in the mid-19th century. Tavenraat was working during a time of great change in Dutch society. The old order was crumbling, and a new middle class was emerging, eager to display its wealth and status. The rising middle class had the means to participate in leisure activities such as hunting. Hunting dogs became a symbol of status and access to exclusive hunting grounds. In this social context, the dog is presented with dignity and purpose. Drawings like this remind us that artworks are not made in a vacuum. They reflect the values and beliefs of the society in which they were created, and tell us about the social function of art. To fully understand this work, we can turn to resources such as historical archives and social histories, that shed light on the changing roles of animals in 19th-century Dutch society.