Twee herten 1868

Johannes Tavenraat created this drawing, "Twee herten," around 1868, using pen and brown ink on paper. Tavenraat lived during a time of significant social and economic change in the Netherlands, witnessing the transition from an agrarian society to a more industrialized one. His choice to depict animals, specifically deer, speaks to a romantic idealization of nature, perhaps as a refuge from the rapid modernization he saw unfolding. There’s a tension in how deer are viewed, often seen as symbols of grace and freedom, yet also as game, hunted for sport and sustenance. How might this duality reflect the artist's own relationship with the changing world around him? The sketch-like quality of the drawing, with its quick, almost frenetic lines, conveys a sense of urgency or movement. It also invites us to consider the ephemerality of the natural world. This piece evokes a feeling of fleeting beauty, and perhaps a quiet commentary on the transience of life itself.