Haas 1840 - 1880

This is ‘Haas,’ a sketch by Johannes Tavenraat, created with pen in gray ink and brush in gray wash. The dynamism in this work emerges primarily from the linear. Tavenraat skillfully employs line to capture a hare in full flight. Notice how the body is elongated. The use of delicate lines not only defines form but suggests movement, enhanced by the subtle wash creating a backdrop that blurs the distinction between subject and setting. Tavenraat's choice of monochromatic tones, predominantly grays, reduces the visual field to its most fundamental elements, highlighting the relationship between the figure and ground. The quick strokes hint at the hare’s anxious, fleeting presence. This not only captures the animal's physical form but also infuses the work with a sense of temporal urgency. Consider how Tavenraat uses such basic materials to investigate time, motion and presence.