Man met haas of konijn 1710 - 1772

Editor: This is “Man met haas of konijn” by Petrus Johannes van Reysschoot, made sometime between 1710 and 1772. It's a pencil drawing, seemingly a quick sketch. It has this intimate, almost humorous quality... I’m immediately drawn to the way the artist captured the soft fur of… is that a rabbit or a hare? What strikes you most about this drawing? Curator: Ah, yes, a chap and his bunny—or hare, details, details! To me, it’s like peering over the artist's shoulder and into their personal sketchbook. I get the impression of a private moment, a doodle even. Imagine Van Reysschoot, perhaps after a rather robust meal, just casually capturing the essence of this… unusual pairing. There's a liveliness, a sense of the immediate that many formal portraits of the period simply lack. Don’t you feel that almost improvisational spirit? Editor: Absolutely! It's so loose and free. You wouldn't expect that level of informality from a Baroque-era portrait. Do you think this was perhaps practice for a larger piece? Curator: It’s highly likely, yes! Or perhaps it was simply done for personal pleasure; not everything created has to serve a grand purpose, right? We are, after all, humans being human. You sense that raw spontaneity don’t you? Also look at how lightly the paper has been treated and its shade! It gives the image a wonderful depth... and, let's be honest, a bit of charming awkwardness. It has heart. What did you first make of this? Editor: I love what you said about awkwardness and heart! It reframes how I see those "amateur" qualities; instead of imperfections, they communicate so much personality. It's like the sketch reveals more about the artist than a finished painting might. Curator: Precisely! It's a wonderful window not only to look into this artwork, but inside the artist and how their minds tick. You feel it almost. What an experience!